Mental Health: Setting Realistic Goals For The New Year

It’s that time of year between Christmas and New Year when we plan out resolutions. The little ways we’re going to make slight changes in our lives to make big improvements. The only problem is, we lie to ourselves. It’s not on purpose. We have good intentions and most of us have a clear set of goals to achieve. The only problem is that after a couple of days, weeks, or months, we give up on them and return to our old ways. So how do we stay focused and let our mental health start checking boxes in 2023?

Set Realistic Goals

First and foremost, every single time someone sets a “new year, new me” goal it’s always something with an end game in mind. Those goals never really have a plan of action. Each time someone sets their lofty goal there are no checkpoints to get there, they get discouraged, and then they give up. When you set a goal of say “lose 50 lbs” it’s very achievable, but if you’re not realistic, you’ll get discouraged for not getting it done in the first few months. This is a year-long goal and you’ve got time to get there. Don’t say you want to quit smoking and get upset when it doesn’t happen right away.

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Each Step Is A One Closer To Your Goal

If you’re trying lose weight, celebrate every time you’re down. Take notes to chart what factors when you don’t lose the weight. If you’re goal is to quit smoking, pay attention to how many times you put one back. Everyone gets discouraged or gives up because they don’t see their progress right away. However, a pound here and there and all the sudden you’re down 5 then 10, then 15, and so on. If you’re someone who smokes and you smoke a pack a day, note when you smoke 1 less. One less becomes two less, then 3, and thats how things work. You’re not giving up your bad eating habits in a day. You’re not cutting a pack of cigarettes a day. You’re only as successful as your next step towards your goal. There’s no fast forward on bad habits.

Good Habits Break Bad Habits

If you want to take back your mental health and sense of accomplishment, set the small goals then form good habits. That should be the main goal. You didn’t become overweight just because time passed. You put on weight for months and years of bad eating. The only way to overcome is replace it with healthy eating. Again, it’s not something that’s going to happen overnight. Add a glass of water when you wake up in the morning. Then add one at night. Keep replacing things with healthy alternatives. Before you know it your good habits replace the bad ones. That’s when you’ll start seeing the progress.