For many people across the globe, the first of January not only marks the start of a new year, but a lifestyle change accompanied by a list of goals we hope to achieve. We’re all familiar with the saying “new year, new me.” However, it’s easy for us to stray away from our goals weeks– or even days– into the new year.
Picking a realistic goal is vital when it comes to consistently sticking to it, hopefully for more than a few weeks!
A lot of us wake up on January 1 with a sense of empowerment, which is great! However, you don’t want to set yourself up for failure by setting an unrealistic or unattainable goal, only to find yourself losing motivation if you don’t see progress or improvement right away. Making new life choices is hard, especially as a college student.
That being said, immersing yourself into a goal for the year as you’re transitioning into a new semester can easily become chaotic. Before you set a goal of losing weight or improving grades, it’s important to consider your potential, upcoming schedule and how that will interfere with your goal.
You may have an easier semester with plenty of free time to hit the gym or grocery shop for healthy goods, but life as a college student always has the potential to be unpredictable, making it difficult to find time to work on yourself and the specific goal you set for yourself.
This is why being realistic, especially as a college student, is so important to maintain your goal. Life is unpredictable, especially as we begin to transition into new chapters of life, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up on your goals.
For example, instead of saying “I want to lose 30 pounds this year”, say “I will strive to be healthier this year,” that way if life begins to hit you hard, you won’t be discouraged if you don’t see a change in numbers. Taking care of yourself is a priority.
All-in-all, if your goal is unattainable, you’re going to lose motivation quickly. As you set your goals for the new year, keep your upcoming schedule in mind, and always remember to love yourself as you strive for that “new you”.
Happy New Year!