Staying Goal-den
The pressure to set new year’s resolutions and make drastic life changes can become exceedingly strong. While it’s important to take time to reflect on how your habits, patterns, and lifestyle practices affect you, it can be both difficult and overwhelming to think back on your year while still planning for the next one. Even though it might be challenging, you’ve got this! Try to remind yourself that small changes can have a big effect. By setting smaller, more achievable goals, you can make even bigger strides.
Setting Plans for Achieving Your Goals
Could you imagine getting into your car with the desire to drive somewhere you’ve never been without a GPS? That would be nearly impossible! Just as driving is difficult without a GPS, achieving a goal is challenging without a structured plan. Setting plans for achieving your goals helps them become both complete and achievable.
As a serial overthinker, it can be easy to get bogged down in the details of setting new year’s resolutions. Trust me. I know. I’ve spent hours agonizing over my resolutions as I pace in my room over winter break: Will I actually go to the gym six times a week? Will I consistently find time to call Grandpa every Thursday morning? Will I legitimately hold myself accountable for all of these? At some point, though, the questioning does come to an end. I always leave my brainstorming session having set my goals (likely more than I ought to and likely more than I stick to). What matters though, is that I have set them. I have challenged myself to go out of my comfort zone, even if just for a little bit. “How did you do it?” You might ask. Through the development of a plan!
The hack that has helped me commit more strongly to my resolution list is to not only pack it with detailed, achievable goals, but to also set structured, in-depth plans on how to accomplish them. For instance, for this year’s resolutions, I set a goal of going to the gym three times a week and running twice a week. I was able to then look at my calendar and schedule out potential times that I could attend the gym or go for a run. In other words, I forced myself to be held accountable for those goals. I became fully aware of the times during which I could exercise, so once school started, I would have to consciously choose not to exercise, knowing that I had both the time and ability to. The rest of my plan is a bit self-explanatory, as I would then either lift weights or run the campus-drive loop as my workout. Yet, for more specific goals, laying out all of the steps is imperative. While it can feel silly to write down seemingly obvious steps for your resolutions, seeing them written on paper can make all the difference in making them a reality.
While goal setting is surely daunting, remember that small changes can make big strides. You’re strong, you’re smart, and you’re capable of whatever life throws your way. You’ve got this.
Written by: Chase Klavon, Class of 2025
Resources
Stanford Resources
- Mental Health Resources at Stanford: Your go-to hub for navigating the many mental health and well-being resources at Stanford.
- Setting SMART goals: Check out this Flourish article that highlights SMART goal setting for the academic year.
- From Dreaming to Doing: How We Set and Achieve Goals: This episode of the Stanford Graduate School of Business Talk Smart podcast focuses on setting achievable yet difficult goals. Insights by Stanford Business, May 31, 2022.
- Well-Being Coaching: Work with a supportive partner to design your own vision for well-being.