Realizing New Year’s Resolutions

Did you shudder or audibly groan at the thought of a New Year’s resolution? Are you unsure of what to put on a mental or physical vision board?

Planning goals for the next 12 months of your life (though an honorable and valid pursuit) can be daunting. Some may feel discouraged when little to no action is taken; they may think, “I missed the first x number of days, so why start now?” On the other hand, they may have acted and not seen the exact results they expected and be tempted to give up. 

If New Year’s resolutions have scarred you, fret not. I am not going to lecture you on making a S.M.A.R.T. goal, as great as that is. Additionally, I am not going to ASSIGN goals to you. You (ideally) know your strengths, areas for improvement, interests, and dreams. I do not claim to know your lifestyle and unique circumstances; I am just here to say that it is OK, preferable actually, to tailor your goals at any point of the year to what you’re going through, need, and want.

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Now, I do want to share with you the main quality you need to keep in mind when setting goals: intentionality. 

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I always ask, “What is your goal for ‘x’?” (Replace “x” with something important to you that you may want to improve on in the new year.) Often, I hear:

“I do not want to slack off in class this year.”

“I do not want to get a bad grade in class this year.”

“I do not want to miss out on new opportunities this year.”

My response to those answers is a genuine, “Great! You know what you do not want, but what do you want?”

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Saying what you do not want to happen or what you want to avoid is only a portion of a holistic, intentional goal. To use our examples from above, you could then say:

“I want to actively participate in class this year by asking questions.”

“I want to earn and maintain an A average in class by reviewing the material with my consultant weekly.”

“I want to seek learning and service opportunities inside and outside the classroom.”

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Define the full goal. Define the negative, adverse, reactionary, or counterproductive behavior you want to avoid and solidify the positive, favorable, proactive, and productive behavior you wish to exhibit. In doing so, you can set reasonable goals and face a higher chance of experiencing the joy and revitalization of sticking to and meeting your resolutions!

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If your goal includes Academic Support, starting those college essays with College Readiness, or prepping for official exams through Test Preparation, please contact us at:

info.houston@cramcrew.com

info.dallas@cramcrew.com

info.austin@cramcrew.com

Unsure of who to contact or live outside those cities? Email us at info.houston@cramcrew.com, and we will happily guide you to where you need to go. Here's to reaching our goals in the new year and delighting in our shared success!

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