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With the arrival of the New Year, there is no better time to focus on your health. Many people will set New Year’s resolutions this year, but only a few will keep them. Ready to leave New Year’s resolutions behind? Don’t give up on them yet, research shows that setting goals is still the best way to get results. People who set goals are much more likely to achieve them than those who don’t.

Having a plan and not relying just on willpower will help you be more successful in keeping your New Year’s goals. If you have struggled with a goal in the past, then it might be better to take a step back before taking a step forward. Understanding how you got where you are will help you with a plan to be successful in the future. Before setting your New Year’s goals this year, first ask yourself these questions:

• Why do you want the change? 
• What is it going to do for you? 
• What has been holding you back? 
• What will happen if I don’t make a change? 

Choosing goals that have personal meaning while also understanding the barriers or challenges that have prevented you from reaching your goals in the past will be key to your success this time around. Now that you understand your WHY, here are a few more helpful tips for setting healthy goals this New Year!

1. Perform a brainstorming session. Give yourself six minutes to brainstorm a list of anything you’d like to achieve, create, do, have, give and/or experience in the next 20 years. Write as many things down as fast as you can in this time.

2. Refine your goals. Setting deadlines is crucial to the goal-setting process. Go back through your list and write one, three, five, 10 or 20 years next to each goal to indicate how long it will take to achieve them.

3. Review your list. Go over what you’ve written. Choose your top four one-year goals. These are goals that truly excite you. Write a paragraph for each goal explaining why you will absolutely achieve this goal within the next 12 months.

4. Evaluate your goals. Are your goals specific? Measurable? Achievable? Realistic? Do they have a specific timeframe? These are the components of a SMART goal. You set SMART goals with purpose and intention, making them more concrete and easier to achieve.

1. Visualize accomplishing your goals. Visualization is a powerful activity. When you visualize your goals on a daily basis as if you’ve already achieved them, you align your purpose and values with your actions. 

2. Share your goals. Find a friend, family member or another person you trust and share your list of goals with them. You can also share the list with a mentor or life coach. Sharing your list will make you more accountable and give you a partner who will work with you through frustrations or roadblocks. The right partner can help you transform obstacles into opportunities and stay on track.

3. Keep your goals visible. Where focus goes, energy flows, so it’s critical to focus on your goals. Tape them on the mirror in your bathroom or pin them to the wall next to your computer. If your goals involve adopting a healthy diet and losing weight, put them on the front of your refrigerator or a kitchen cabinet.

4. Regularly review your goals. Have a set schedule to review both short- and long-term goals. This helps you track progress as well as determine what activities are helping you and which are hindering you. It’s important to know when alterations to your course are necessary: Stay flexible and make changes where necessary.

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