New Year, Same You — A Fresh Start

At the beginning of each new year, the phrase “New Year, New Me” is constantly being thrown around on social media. While the new year can be a great time to make changes in your day to day life, it can also be a great time to simply reflect on the year past and re-assess areas of your life rather than attempting to become a completely different person in the span of a month. 

This is not to say you can’t make new year's resolutions, but more so to encourage making goals that are realistic and achievable rather than goals that require you to spend excessive amounts of money, overhaul a diet, or re-arrange your entire schedule.

Here are 4 tips for how to make sure your new goals/resolutions are achievable and not just a “show” for social media.

1. Reflect on What You Have Accomplished This Year. 

While January is a great time to make new goals, it is also a great opportunity to sit yourself down and reflect on all that you have accomplished this year—big or small. Even if all you accomplished this past year was surviving, that in itself is a huge accomplishment and something you should be proud of. 

2. Focus on the “Why” of your goals 

Yeah, making goals is a huge part of changing habits and routines, but without the “Why” factor, they are simply words on a paper. Make concrete goals that are both achievable and realistic within your daily life. 

3. The “Rule of One” 

While it can be exciting to jump right into becoming a better person and trying to accomplish your goals, focusing on one goal at a time can be a much better use of your time, rather than overwhelming yourself with throwing too many things on your plate. 

4. Choosing “Selective Accountability”

Selective Accountability is simply that— choosing yourself as the sole person to keep you accountable for completing your own goals. While it can be exciting to want to share all of your goals with your best friend, that can also be a slippery slope that leads to you overcompensating in fear of failure. When making new goals, especially in the beginning, it's okay to keep them to yourself and work in silence. You goals are for yourself, after all!

- Makayla Foster, Peer Wellness Educator Lead