How to ensure that you keep the resolutions you make

Colourful 2014 in fiery sparklersWith tomorrow being New Years Day many will be making resolutions and setting goals for themselves. I was thinking about why we set goals for ourselves and decided that really it is about finding ways for us to grow. Growth is one of those spiritual needs that each of us must fill to feel fulfilled.

For us to set a goal that we have any chance of reaching, the goal must also be a way to meet one or more of our emotional needs, either short term or long term. Those emotional needs that we all have are a need for certainty in our life, variety in our life, significance or love/connection. If I set a goal of losing weight we might ask ourselves – what need am I filling if I do lose weight? Am I filling the need of certainty (certain of what?) or maybe it is significance or greater love or connection?

Then what is it that I set a high value on in my life that losing weight will give me certainty that I am living that value? Is it showing love for my family, my health, my children or receiving love/connection? Without filling a value and meeting at least two of our needs it is likely that our New Years Resolution will not be kept, even forgotten with a few days or weeks. But when 2 or more of our needs are being met, it is far more likely that our goal or resolution will be followed through on to it’s completion.

All goals must also be SMART.  Next a look at creating SMART goals.