We’ve all been there — it’s January and you are really feeling all the inspiration and energy from the new year, so you decide to make some resolutions. Throughout the course of our education, we have learned about ourselves, and setting S.M.A.R.T. goals, yet, we never seem to put those techniques into action once the novelty of the new year fades…
With the media’s influence of “perfect women” who always look nice, have their academics together, and have a large, thriving social circle, what’s a girl to do? We all want to be her. But how can we actually put steps towards being our best selves, and not just looking toward societal standards for our goals? Here are five steps to get started:
1. Think about YOU
What do you want to accomplish this year? For some people, something like spending more time taking care of their hair matters, but maybe you aren’t as into styling, and that’s okay! Remember that everyone has a unique take on resolutions, and that you don’t need to share one with your BFF or some celebrity from a magazine. Your goals should be private, and it’s your choice if you want to share them with others. Make the goals personal, so that they mean something and that you will be inclined to do them.
Reading about the areas of personal balance can be helpful to reflect on when thinking about goal-setting. Take a look at the image below and see what you think! A simple online search on a balanced wheel of life will yield all sorts of interesting results on self-care and improvement from multiple perspectives. This can help you get started and think about areas of your life to focus on, so you stay organized. Some key areas typically include: Personal Development, Finances, Health, Play, Social Life, Family, Home, Creativity, Relationships and Livelihood. Pick and choose areas that work for you!
2. Think about time
You should be realistic about how long a goal or commitment will take. Allow yourself enough time to reach success in a thoughtful way, but also don’t let yourself slack and procrastinate. Finding a good balance of time will help you get better at something, while also visualizing your success at that point in time. For example, raising your GPA could take several semesters, while going to the gym three times per week could take up to a month to see through. Think about what it takes to complete the task, what steps are involved, and then allocate time from there.
3. Think about being real
Consider your ideas of resolutions, and then consider if you can see yourself actually doing them, and if you could actually accomplish them. There is no point in setting a goal that you don’t even see happening. So have some faith in yourself, and think of a challenge, but within reason. This also relates to your mental health, since it’s not worth stressing too much over a resolution that ideally won’t work for you. Examine yourself thoroughly before committing to a goal, and remember that you can always adjust once you get started and learn more about the process of reaching a goal.
4. Think about improving the world
So often, our goals are selfish. This can be good, since individuals can accomplish amazing things like reading more books, or improving their grades, but maybe also think about how you can impact others. If you are lacking inspiration, research a cause you care about, and look into how you can get involved. Reading the news daily is a great way to learn about what’s happening around you, and reading from various sources is extremely valuable. Start your search for a cause local — from your neighborhood, to Virginia Tech, and then look beyond to the whole state, and even the United States and globally. Also, be sure to research organizations thoroughly before giving your time and resources to them; make a worthy contribution.
5. Think about loving yourself
If there’s one thing we all learned from 2017, it’s to love yourself first. Be sure to take this into account when setting your goals. Are you setting a goal for the right reason? Is it something you are wanting to learn about? Something you are passionate about? Don’t ever do something or set a goal simply to please someone else, or to follow a trend. A real resolution is deeply rooted in personal drive, so find your passion, and go for it!