How to Follow Through on Goals for the New Year
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Well, it’s that time of year again: when we start hearing people talk about “New Year’s Resolutions,” and may begin to feel an uneasy sense of social pressure to make changes in our lives, along with a familiar sense of dread about it. Where does this sense of dread come from? Perhaps, we’re afraid that we will once again get our hopes up for certain longed-for changes, only to have our hopes dashed sometime in mid- to late-January, when these changes fail to materialize. Many of us may feel demoralized by our past experiences of unfulfilled goals and disappointed hopes. This is a very normal - if not universal - human experience.
What if I told you there were two evidence-based acronyms that could transform your elusive New Year’s resolutions into actual, concrete accomplishments? What if I told you they could help you trade your familiar feelings of frustration, helplessness, and failure for feelings of success, competence, and self-efficacy? Would it be worth it to you to find out how, and maybe give it a try? If your answer is yes, then by all means keep reading…
Set “SMART” Goals
S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Attainable
R = Relevant
T = Time-specific
Often, our wishes for ourselves can be formulated in somewhat vague terms, like “Get in shape in the New Year.” This is a common one, but it may not be an applicable goal for everyone. So, as you read through this post, feel free to dream up a goal that feels meaningful to you, and apply the advice shared here to your own goal in whatever ways may feel helpful to you - or not. As with anything on this journey of life, please take what you find helpful and leave the rest.
We’ll stay with the “get in shape” goal for this post, just to provide an illustrative example. This could be a great goal, but it may remain rather difficult to attain unless we put it into more specific terms. We can set ourselves up for success with it by transforming the desire to get in shape into a SMART goal. Consider taking a moment to re-imagine your wish into something concrete and realistic that you can see yourself doing on a regular basis, perhaps starting with smaller steps and gradually working your way toward bigger steps.
One example of how someone could translate their wish to get in shape into a SMART goal might look something like this: “Do a 30 min Pilates workout after work 2 times per week for the next month. After 1 month, if this goal proved to be attainable, increase to 3 times per week; if not, decrease to 1 time per week for the next month and then re-evaluate.”
Follow Through with “WOOP”
W = Wish
O = Outcome
O = Obstacle(s)
P = Plan
Now, once you have a specific and realistic goal in mind, how to go about making it a reality? WOOP is a handy tool that can help with this. It might sound strange, but the 5 or 10 minutes you spend figuring out how to apply this WOOP acronym to your SMART goal will likely be well worth it in the long run. It may even mean the difference between an empowering experience of following through successfully on your goal and a discouraging experience of failing to follow through. So what does “WOOP” mean, and what does it have to do with your desire for change? Read on.
Wish: The wish is the goal you want to follow through on, or the concrete behavior you want to actually do. Insert your SMART goal here and you’re ready to go! We’ll use the example from above to illustrate how this works:
My wish = Do a 30 min Pilates workout after work 2 times/wk for the next 4 wks.
Outcome: The outcome is about why you want to achieve this wish/goal. Dig deep for this one. Why do you want to get in shape? What will it mean to you to achieve this goal? What benefits are you hoping for? What is your deeply-held source of motivation to make this happen? What makes this goal worth overcoming obstacles in order to achieve? Why does it matter to you?
My desired outcome = To feel good in my body, with less chronic pain & tension in my back, neck & shoulders, more energy, and an overall sense of well-being.
Obstacle(s): The obstacle is really important. It’s the thing (or, more often, multiple things) that predictably stops you from following through on your goal. If it weren’t for this obstacle, you would likely have already achieved this goal. So ask yourself, what’s stopping you? Imagine yourself about to act out your wish on a given day and then stopping, getting diverted, distracted, or doing something else instead of it. Then notice - what is that thing that stops you?
My obstacles = 1) Feeling too tired after work and thinking I can’t be bothered
2) Working late and then thinking I don’t have time to do it
Plan: This is your contingency plan for when you encounter the obstacle - not if, when. Phrase it in terms of when/then, not if/then: “When [the specific obstacle occurs], then I will [employ the contingency plan].” Imagine something realistic here, and make it specific to the situations in which your obstacles actually arise on a day-to-day basis. This is like a secondary goal, so try to make it “SMART” like your primary goal.
My plan = 1) When I feel too tired after work & think I can’t be bothered, then I will do the 30 min Pilates workout before I start making dinner.
2) When I end up working late & think I don’t have time to do it, then I will do a 15 min Pilates workout instead of a 30 min workout.
Voilà! Now you’re ready to apply these acronyms to your own goals, the ones you really, truly care about, and set about the process of making them happen in your life. Enjoy the process, give yourself some grace to not be perfect, and celebrate your small successes along the way!
If you find yourself in need of a little extra support to make the changes you really want to make in your life, don’t be afraid to reach out for some professional support. Connections Counseling is here to accompany you on the journey of making your wished-for life into a reality!