ARE NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS A GOOD IDEA FOR HABIT CHANGE?

DR. JAN NEWMAN

It’s the beginning of a new year, and we all know what that means?! New Year’s resolutions.

Believe it or not, you’ll find some strong opinions out there on New Year’s resolutions.

In this guest blog feature, our own Dr. Kayleigh Hunnicutt discusses how sometimes setting New Years resolutions can go wrong.

ARE THEY A GOOD IDEA?

In her post, Dr. Hunnicutt raises several questions:

Why are you setting the goal?

Will your goal get you closer to what matters to you?

What specific habits have you set to achieve the goal?

Key Questions About Goal Setting

Are my goals aligned with my core values?

Values-based goals have been shown to be more likely to result in outcomes. When people are involved in the creation of a goal on a team, their motivation increases.

Are my goals SMART goals?

Specific

Measurable
Actionable (and in ACT, we would also say workable)
Realistic
Time-bound
If you’re a Michael Hyatt and Full Focus planner fan, he uses a slightly different acronym – SMARTER goals
- Specific
- Measurable
- Actionable
- Risky
- Time-bound
- Exciting
- Relevant

Have you planned the smaller habits that will get you closer to your goals?

A successful habit should consider:
- What’s the prompt? To create a new habit, you need a prompt that will help you remember to practice the habit. Often anchoring a habit to an existing habit is helpful
- What’s your ability to do it? Are you able to do it with the existing skillset and knowledge you have? What about external barriers? Identify any barriers – internal or external – and adjust those to make it easier for you to do.
- What’s your motivation to do it? Motivation is a fickle thing and the elusive butterfly in behavior change. Be honest about where you are and think about ways that you can increase your motivation. Starting small also helps overcome motivation problems. I liken this to thinking through this with a metaphor of a hot tub and a pool. Ranking your motivation 1 – 10. What can motivate you enough to get out of the hot tub into a regular pool? What could motivate you to get into a cold exposure pool? You will probably need more motivation to do the cold exposure pool. You also need to consider things that affect your motivation such as energy, illness, and contextual factors.

If you are struggling to set values-based goals and build or break habits to meet them, the experienced clinicians at Momentum Psychology are ready to help you with goal setting and habit change. As we enter 2023, start the New Year by resolving to do something about your burnout and put your career and personal life on a strong footing.

OTHER SERVICES OFFERED BY MOMENTUM PSYCHOLOGY

As well as having extensive training in the treatment of anxiety and its related issues, our team of therapists also offers a wide variety of online therapy services in North Carolina and all PSYPACT states. We work with lawyers, entrepreneurs, students, parents, and teens who are dealing with stress and burnout, trauma and loss, ADHD, depression, and life transitions. Our goal is to help you find success both professionally and personally so you can gain Momentum to excel in a bright future.

RESOURCES OFFERED BY MOMENTUM PSYCHOLOGY IN NORTH CAROLINA

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ARE NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS A GOOD IDEA FOR HABIT CHANGE?

Are my goals aligned with my core values?

Are my goals SMART goals?

Have you planned the smaller habits that will get you closer to your goals?

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