"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step!" ~ LAO-TZU
Most resolutions are outcome oriented- pay off all my debt, lose 10 pounds, run a marathon, etc. Although these outcome oriented goals will likely get you moving for at least a short while, if you fall short you may feel ready to throw in the towel early. Trust me, this has been my motive in the past. These goals are easy to set, especially after a couple of New Year's Eve cocktails. They can, if too lofty, be difficult to attain. If not challenging enough, allow room for procrastination putting them off until it is too late to complete. In the end, leaving us feeling derailed, defeated and feeling like a failure. An outcome goal isn't all bad, these goals challenge you to change your direction, refocus, and have a plan! I recommend you consider pairing process goals, often called short-termed goals (see previous post on Meeting Your Health Goals with Principles of ABA) with your outcome desires.
A process goal, short-term, often reqires more frequent reviews; for example daily or weekly. It is specific and acheiveable quickly. I like these goals, although much more difficult to set, they are also much more difficult to bail on. These goals help us to live in the presence, "what can I do today to make today different?" I usually can eliminate excuses with these goals, they help me to feel successful. If my outcome goal is to run a 10k, my process goal will be to get outside and get movng daily running a least 3 days per week and walking 3. I can set a calendar with my plan for each day of the week mapped out- a simple checkmark upon completion marks success, yay! These smaller steps oten leave us feeling more accomplished, enjoying what we have in the now; creating what Dave Ramsey coins in the financial field "the snowball effect" gaining momentum in a positive direction. By completing each of your process goals, before you know it, you'll have reached your outcome goal. Weight Watcher's does this by having people strive to stay under a certian number of points each day, Dave Ramsey suggests it by tackling one small debt at a time.
For example, lets work through one of my goals for 2013! "Try to live my year in the present" wanting what I have; how the heck do I tackle this outcome goal? My process goals involve (1) every night writing down 5 things I was grateful for that day, and (2) Noting 1 thing each day where I spent at least 5 minutes enjoying the present (which can include but is not limited to: 5 minutes of meditation during lunch, yoga, a run where my thoughts disappeared, watching the cardinal in the snow, laughing with my husband.
My last few pieces of advice are: take adequate time to map out detailed goals, pick things YOU really want to accomplish (not those influenced by others), and find ways to create periodic motivation. For example an outcome goal defined in 2012 was to pay off my school loans over the next 2 years... so until the loans are paid off, I've limited the number of trips I can take and I've cut my clothes budget significantly. I also have a mirror titled "Life After School Loans" covered with dry-erase scribbles of all the rewards I get to splurge on when my budget increases; traveling, experiences, purchases, etc.). Reward yourself periodically along the way with fun but less desirable reinforcers until your ultimate goal is attained. (i.e. Every month I successfully wrote five things in which I am grateful and one thing took time to enjoy the present moment daily- I get to buy a specialty drink from the local coffee).
What are your goals for 2013? How can you make a few process goals to help measure your long-term outcome? Think realistically, challenge yourself, and reward yourself.