New Year, SMART You!
By Chahna Tailor
Happy New Year and Happy New Decade!!
How is the year starting off for you? Have you created any goals that you would like to achieve?
If you reflect on the past resolutions, how many have them have you kept?
Studies show that only 25% of people follow through with their New Year’s resolutions after 30 days and only 8% of people actually achieve their goals.
Why?
Sometimes, our goals are not practical. We set unrealistic expectations and do not plan (thoroughly) how we are going to accomplish the goals that we have created for ourselves.
In addition to that, we have already created habits and behaviors that run our daily show.
It can hinder us from leaving our comfort zone and trying something new, making it difficult to break pre-existing patterns and bring a change to our daily/weekly routines.
When I used to practice occupational therapy, it was imperative that whenever we wanted our patients to achieve certain goals, we had to create goals that were S.M.A.R.T.
S.M.A.R.T goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. Let’s break it down.
Is the goal that you have created specific? Have you created a time frame and considered what actions you will take to accomplish it? Have you broken it down to know what it will take from you?- Is the goal measurable? How do you track how well you are doing on your journey towards your goal?
- Is it attainable? Is the goal realistic and doable? Do you have what it takes (motivation, material) to accomplish your task?
- Is it relevant? How does this goal impact you? Why does it matter to you? If a goal is relevant to you personally, it will increase your motivation to achieve it.
- Is it timely? Have you set reasonable expectations of what time frame you would want to complete your goal by?
Think about it, sometimes we create goals for ourselves that are not really realistic. But, if we create short term goals (what you will do one week from now, two weeks from now, etc.), it can help us make our long term goal achievable instead of impractical.
Create a S.M.A.R.T. Goals chart for yourself! It can help keep you on schedule and make it easier to track how you are doing throughout the process.
Do not let fear or lack of planning get in the way of your success in this new year. Take charge and accomplish everything you set out to do.
New Year, New You! Happy 2020! Make it an amazing one!
About the Author
Chahna Tailor, a certified yoga instructor, has a background in occupational therapy and health science & administration. Chahna deepened her yoga practice by training in Rishikesh, India, where she studied the science behind yoga as a whole. Chahna provides yoga, pranayama, and meditation services through her company Namaskar To You. A volunteer for Ekal Vidyalaya and Hindu American Foundation, Chahna also contributes to Desh-Videsh magazine and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Ayurvedic Medicine while continuing her self-studies in yoga.
