I have set broad New Year goals for myself each year I’ve been blogging, with some success! I know goals are supposed to be specific, attainable, and measurable in order to succeed, but somehow I find broad overarching goals are more attainable and easier for me to remember. For example, my goal of eating less and moving more is way more attainable than working out three times per week and eating 5 servings of vegetables per day. My life isn’t that rigid and I’m much more inclined to actually follow through if there is less pressure.
Does that make sense? I guess what I’m trying to say is, the more specific I make my goals, the less attainable and more stressful they become
In any case, I thought a lot about my goals for this year. I have the standard big goals like getting a job, moving into a house, etc., but I also feel like I need something more. Some way to improve my life and to extend myself. So I came up with a list. I hope to accomplish some of these this year, but the real goal is to at least start on these before I’m 30.
- Attend a concert in a new venue with a band I’ve never seen before.
- Get my thesis published.
- Create a morning and bedtime routine that reduce stress and can easily be incorporated into my life.
- Volunteer for an organization working with animals.
- Reduce meat consumption and maximize vegetable consumption.
- Keep a sketchbook journal and start creating.
- Attend a photography class and practice honing my skills.
- Send letters/cards/notes to the people I love.
- Join a recreational sports team.
- Practice cooking more Asian food.
Whew! That’s a tough list, but I think I should be able to get to most of them over the next three years. I’ll check back in throughout the year and mark my progress.
Do you have any New Years resolutions? What goals have you had the most success with in the past?
-Mads
La Petite Pancake 