Welcome to the first week of 2018! Now is the time for setting goals and creating intentions for the new year. For 2016 I posted about setting principles, and for 2017 I wrote about creating a mantra. For 2018 I’ve been reflecting on where I would most like to grow and how to articulate how I’d like to develop so I can take actions to drive these changes. Instead of the usual “work out more” or “read more books,” I’ve realized that my goals are harder to measure and the normal SMART goals approach isn’t going to cut it.
If you’re finding that you’d like to improve in qualitative rather than quantitative ways, here is how you can verbalize your goals and create a plan to start out the new year in a strong way.
Examine how you would like to improve
- When was I most proud of myself this past year?
- What is a moment I wish I could relive so I could respond in a different way?
- When did I feel most excited and alive?
- When did I feel most frustrated and stuck?
As you can see, by reflecting on your current strengths and weaknesses, you’ll be able to see where you can get even better and where you need to focus your efforts. You could also talk to those who are closest to you and ask their advice. On a walk with my mother I brought up the topic of self improvement and her first remark was, “This is going to turn into a blog post, isn’t it?” Well, yes, yes it is.
Verbalize your goals
Envision your ideal action
Since qualitative goals are tough to measure, try envisioning what it would look like to act in accordance with the positive statement you created. I see myself telling friends when they do something that bothers me. I see myself not taking on more than my share of work with a smile and not a single word. I will speak up for myself and realize that if I’m not going to say anything, no one else is going to do it for me.
You can play out specific scenarios in your mind or decide that you will respond in accordance with your goal. It will take practice to recognize when you’re in a situation that requires more mindfulness and taking action, but you will be able to cultivate awareness and make modifications that will continue to serve you in the long term.
Since it is not easy to measure such goals, thinking back to your positive statement and evaluating if you’ve been living it out will keep you on track. Periodic evaluations (every month, every week, every day…) are essential to continue your improvement.
What qualitative resolutions are you setting for 2018? How do you continue to improve when you can’t easily measure yourself?
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