Forget New Year’s resolutions, set yourself a goal

Improve your chance of success in 2021

Out with the old year and in with the new. There is nothing like the start of a new year to get us thinking about what we want to achieve. 

Do you have a resolution to be more active in 2021? If so, you are not alone. But it takes more than just a resolution to create change, particularly when it comes to creating healthy habits. So often our new year’s resolutions seem to fall by the wayside, replaced by old, familiar habits, busy lifestyles and unexpected challenges.

This year improve your chance of success—turn your New Year’s resolution into a goal!

3 reasons to set a goal this year

The problem with resolutions is that they tend to be broad. Hands up who has told themselves ‘I’m going to be more active this year’? But when we set ourselves these broad aims, we often set ourselves up for failure too. Here’s why having a goal will increase your chance of success. 

1.  A goal can focus your priorities
We can’t do everything, so setting goals can help prioritise what really matters. That way we can put our efforts into the things we want to achieve the most.

2. Goals help keep you on track
Once you have something specific to aim for, you are more likely to stay motivated and on track. And unlike many resolutions, a goal is something we work towards, not something we expect to achieve straight away. Small steps lead to success over time.

3. Achieving a goal can lead to more goals
When you achieve a goal, big or small, it’s incredibly satisfying and it builds confidence, and that keeps us reaching for the next goal.

Frame your goal for success

You’ll be more motivated and successful if your goals are designed to accomplish the things that really matter to you. Make sure they are your goals, not those of family or friends—unless that goal is mutual!

If you’re clear about what you want to achieve, you’ll have a better chance of reaching your goal too. So be specific. Think ‘what’, ‘when’ and ‘how’. Instead of a broad statement like ‘I’ll be more active’ try ‘I’ll walk 30 minutes before work every day’. And make sure you can measure your goal so that you can track your progress.

Be realistic about what you want to, and can, achieve. A challenge is great, but don’t set yourself up to fail. If you have a big goal in mind, break it into smaller steps that are easier to achieve. 

Make sure you include a deadline but be sensible with this too. A deadline should give you just the right amount of motivation—not so short that it can’t be achieved but not so far out that you never get around to it! Just like breaking a big goal into smaller steps, setting short, medium and long term goals can help keep your timeline realistic. 

Set a goal with Get Active Victoria

Do you want to set an activity goal for 2021? Login to Get Active Victoria and set a goal for the number of minutes you want to be active each day. Record your daily activity in the Tracker to monitor how you go against your goal. 

You can change your goal whenever you want, which makes it easy to increase your activity over time.

Final tips…

If you’re keen to try goal setting this year, here’s a few more tips to get you on your way:

• Write your goals down!
• Practice, practice, practice—if you repeat a new behaviour or routine, you are more likely to stick with it long term. 
• It’s okay to adjust your goal. Life is unpredictable, so at times we need to be flexible, and it may be better to adjust your goal than abandon it completely.
• Teamwork is a great way to achieve a goal. So why not set a joint goal with a friend or family member? Support each other, have fun and encourage each other to keep going! You can create a team online at Get Active Victoria and set a common activity goal for your team.  

Remember to reward yourself when you reach a goal too. Choose a reward that matches your goal and supports your new habit.