LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Many people create new goals and resolutions at the start of each year, but those commitments are often abandoned within weeks.
The second Friday of January has been dubbed “Quitters Day” because of this pattern.
Dr. Natalie Scanlon, a clinical psychologist for Texas Tech Physicians, said it’s important to commit to values you want to align yourself with when creating your new year’s goals.
“I think my biggest challenge and push for people is to almost do a values inventory,” Scanlon said. “So, what’s important to me across different areas of my life and set some goals that are aligned with those, versus those aligned with fads and what other people are doing,” Scanlon said.
Taking resolutions day by day
Scanlon said to take on resolutions day by day, noting it takes time to see positive change.
“But having mini steps that set you up for success and smaller check-point goals along the way,” Scanlon said. “Those are really important because then people feel positively reinforced and good about themselves along the way so that their momentum can keep going and they can continue to build towards those bigger goals,” she said.
It’s not about perfection
Many people set unrealistic goals and then feel like they can never achieve them. Scanlon said no one is perfect and people should be kind to themselves.
“It’s not about perfection, it’s not about holding ourselves to these unrealistically high standards, it is just about moving the needle from one year to the next,” Scanlon said “So as long as we’re walking that path and generally living in line with our values, I think that’s what really matters,” Scanlon said.
Scanlon’s advice includes finding what is truly important to you, writing down those goals, finding accountability and most importantly, believing in yourself.
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