Goal Setting & Accountability Buddies
January is a time when many people set resolutions. The temptations of the Christmas holidays have passed and with a new calendar comes the feeling of a fresh start. However, resolutions seem to quickly bring about unpleasant and reluctant feelings as they often don’t last long and progress doesn’t get far. Luckily, I have some ideas on how we can change that!
First of all, instead of making resolutions, let’s make goals. Resolutions remind me of strict, unbreakable rules like, “I’ll quit eating chocolate for a year!” or, “I’ll exercise every day no matter what!” While the sentiment is well intended, these claims seem restrictive and unsustainable. So let’s change our approach to a goal-centred mindset. Good goals are specific, reasonable, made up of progressive milestones and are set to a schedule. An example would be, “I will run a 10 km race by the end of August. To do this, I will train twice a week and will add on one kilometre of distance every two weeks.” Not only does this seem achievable, you will also get a confidence boost each time you reach a milestone. Awesome!
Another way we can improve our chances of sticking with a goal is to have an accountability buddy. All of us have thought of things we’d like to accomplish and then kept the idea to ourselves. Our inner voice whispers, “I’ll try to put more money in savings this month,” or, “maybe I’ll try snowshoeing this winter,” but we never utter the words aloud. Whether it is the fear of being judged or the always present risk of failure that stops us from seeking support from others, we unintentionally allow ourselves to push off goals and avoid taking risks that would bring us joy to accomplish.
Here’s where our accountability buddies come in. An accountability buddy is someone that you trust to be supportive of your goal, that you can check in with regularly, and that will be encouraging even when things get tough. Be sure to tell your buddy the specifics of your goal including milestones and timelines, and together determine how often you should check in with them. By sharing your goals with others you not only gain the support of someone that is invested in your success, but also prove to yourself that you believe you can succeed.
Accountability buddies can be a spouse, parent, colleague, personal trainer, or even a blog! Thus, I am going to ask you to be my accountability buddy for 2022. My goal is to share a monthly blog post on the EduKayt website. To do this I will plan my outlines ahead and ensure to set aside time each month to specifically work on my posts. As well, I know you will be waiting for my post and that is a huge motivator for me. Thank you for your support!
I would love for you to share your goals for 2022 with me in return! Simply leave a comment or send me an email at kbeakhouse@gmail.com.