Happy New Year! It’s time to set goals! It is easy to set goals, but it is less easy to KEEP goals. Below are several tips and tricks for hitting your goal targets.

• Write goals down- Not only do you remember things better when you write them down, but you are also more likely to keep written goals then non-written goals. According to Forbes, people are 1.4 times more likely to achieve a goal if it was written down.
• Make goals the SMART way- It is easy to say that you will lose weight but how? How much weight? By when? Make sure that you create Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely goals. By following the SMART system, you are more likely to make achievable goals.
• Get support- Make sure you have someone in your life that is aware of your goals and is cheering you on!
• Review your progress– If you just make a goal and never look at it, you will fail at the goal. Try putting your written goal on your fridge and calendar. Look at it frequently. Make a point to review your goals. This could be a weekly review or a monthly, depending on if you have made a short term or long term goal. Try to make a goal that you can track progress with.
• Reward yourself- If you achieve any part of your goal, reward yourself! This will help you stay on track. It does not have to be anything big, but make sure that the reward is meaningful to you.

Goal Examples:

I will eat healthier by introducing more vegetables to my diet. I will do this by adding two vegetables to at least one meal a day.

I will meet new people. I will sign up for the meetup app and do at least one religious function event a month. This year, I will attend a networking event that relates to my work.

My goal is to live a more active lifestyle. I will add 30 min of exercise to my week. After a month, I will add another 30 min of exercise a week. I will continue to add more exercises to my weeks month by month until I am exercising 30 mins at least 5 days a week.