A Thoughtful New Year Goal

New Year’s always gives us an opportunity to reflect and imagine what we want to be different. And it offers a bit of hope, right? The optimistic spirit, the celebrations and traditions, and the camaraderie from everyone else having the same perspective. In fact, I’d say New Year’s might be one of the few times in which people are that collectively optimistic.

When looking at what you want to be different, I want you to think about that perspective and belief in yourself. Many of us have experienced that high for the start of January and the somewhat-quick decline as we set into our new routine. Ironically, and perhaps sadly enough, we may even preface a change in behavior that’s occurring at the beginning of the year with that it’s not a resolution. Why do we do that? Surely that comes from somewhere, but it also squashes the hopeful environment the New Year affords us. So, how do we set goals that help you believe in yourself?

Well, we know from research that if you set too high and specific of a goal, and someone fails it, their emotional tone (affect), motivation, and self-esteem take a hit. And those three are reportedly key values one needs to make lasting change (Höpfner & Keith, 2021). Therapists know from our training that one of the best approaches to changing behavior is through SMART goals. These stand for

• Specific,

• Measurable,

• Achievable,

• Relevant, and

• Time-bound.

My hope is that by using this model for goal-setting, you can think about the New Year in a fresh way. Let these goals be something that already align with your normal self and those parts of you you’ve already seen the value in changing. There’s a sense of humility in this model and I want you to take that to heart. If not so as to not squash the hopeful feeling this time of year, but to encourage a constant stance of reflecting on your goals. Make them ones that encourage further change, that build up momentum, and don’t let them run away from you.

Happy New Year and I look forward to your hearing about your journey.

-Jeremy Cooper, LPC

December 29th, 2022