Making new year’s resolutions holds special significance in many cultures, notes counsellor, Marcus Cheung, with the Calgary Counselling Centre. Sustaining those resolutions requires realistic goal setting.
“It’s really people wanting to start afresh and making preparations for the challenges ahead so they can overcome them.”
Sustainable and realistic
People set goals and ideals for the new year, but oftentimes by the middle of January those goals have been set aside by the challenges and struggles to sustain their efforts. Cheung says before even talking about sustainability, we should discuss whether the goals are realistic.
“Is the goal that you are setting for yourself actually manageable? Is it realistic enough for you to actually experience any success? Is the goal attainable?”
Cheung adds they ask people to also focus on the process.
“Sometimes it’s the process that is making things difficult. Oftentimes, people might benefit from suggestions about how to meet their goals. What we recommend as counsellors is asking people to make smaller and more achievable actions. So, smaller goals that are manageable in service of the big goals.”
Benefits of smaller goals
Cheung says when you achieve a small thing in service of a bigger goal, you get a sense of satisfaction.
“People usually feel a sense of success and then slowly move themselves forward. Don’t just look at the big goal, but pay attention to the steps of getting to the bigger goal. I think that’s really crucial.”
Cheung notes that there is a sense of accomplishment and success for people when they attain a small goal, and that motivates them to do more.
“It really helps to amplify their motivation – to amplify their sense of success, so there is a greater likelihood that they are going to meet their resolutions or their goals.”
Perseverance or grit – Just keep going
Scientists have done a lot of research, says Cheung into what defines success and being successful. He notes there are different factors that go into attaining success, and one of the most important factors is grit.
“Grit is one of the most important ingredients in achieving success. We learn about that in child studies. Grit is when people are able to mount a sustainable effort that is consistent. They have higher chances of achieving success in the long run.”
Cheung adds that for every goal that we set, we are going to experience setbacks and failure.
“But as long as we don’t see failure as a permanent thing, but as a temporary thing. We can pick it up and continue.”
Final thoughts
Cheung says once you have done something to give yourself some credit for having achieved.
“Celebrate the small wins. Don’t discredit them. This is how you get to the big wins.”
Appreciate every little bit of progress, so it becomes easier to meet your goals at the end, concludes Cheung.
Support
For anyone needing professional help in sustaining their efforts, support is available online or in person via Counselling Alberta and the Calgary Counselling Centre.
In Lloydminster, mental health resources are available also online and in-person.
