ROANOKE, Va. – There are three things inevitable when it comes to the New Year: Ball dropping in NYC, champagne toasts and New Year’s resolutions.
It’s that time of the year again when people hope to start the new year off with some sort of goal. Setting New Year’s resolutions can be very beneficial for mental health, but it’s important the goals you set are the right ones.
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Rebeccah McCully works as a professional counselor for Thriveworks and said having a goal can help motivate a person for the rest of the year.
“I think they’re good because they can help you keep yourself accountable and help you know what’s important for you that upcoming year, know where you want to go and areas that you want to have self-growth,” McCulley said.
Setting goals that are unattainable or unrealistic though will start off the New Year poorly.
“I think where the problem comes in is where you have more of a personality that focuses on perfectionism. That can be really hard because you’re going, ‘I didn’t make it to the gym this day, and I didn’t do this,’” McCulley said. “You’re focusing on all the things that you didn’t do instead of the things that you are doing right and the small steps you are taking to achieve that goal.”
McCulley has several suggestions for her clients as well as other people when it comes to goal-setting.
Break up your goals
One of them is having a theme or topic as an area to focus on throughout the year. Then, work towards having a different goal that falls under the category each month.
“Something you can measure by, instead of saying, ‘I’m going to do a whole lifestyle change flip.’ You want to set a goal that you can attain so you’re not fixating on ‘Well, I didn’t achieve this,” McCulley said.
Track your progress
McCulley also suggests having a journal to be able to track all the progress you’ve made. Even if it’s not the amount you wanted, it’s important to still give yourself credit for any sort of progress made.
Goal-setting is something experts say should happen year-round. It’s also important to change the goals throughout because life can happen and some goals can quickly become unattainable.
So if you’re looking to start 2023 off on the right note, go ahead and make a New Year’s resolution. Just make sure it’s something measurable and attainable.
Once you figure out how you want to ring in the new year, send us your New Year’s resolutions for a chance to have them featured on TV.