As a new year approaches I have been thinking of all the years I have made resolutions and trying to remember what they all were.  There has been never drinking soda again, let’s face it that lasted a couple of months and I am sure there were other ones like making more time for people and getting into better shape, but what I can’t rap my head around is what the rest of my New Year’s resolutions.

Today’s blog makes me realize that as much as I want positive changes in my life, and as much as I want to grow and develop as a young adult, resolutions are not the way to do it.  Resolutions are an airy dream; goals are concrete steps to those dreams.  I am not saying that if you set goals all of your dreams will come true, but what I am saying is you are more likely to succeed when you set goals for yourself.  Here are a few goals I’ve learned in my journey that I hope can be helpful to you!

How to makes goals instead of resolutions.

1. Don’t set yourself up for failure.

Make realistic goals, but challenge yourself.  Set goals for yourself that are reachable, but also set some goals that are out there, that will take some serious training for you to get to the finish line.  You never know what you can do until you try!

2. Break you goals down into easy and doable steps.

Start and finish you projects.  You come up with an idea, gather what you need, and get to work.  Goals are going to take time, so realize that at the very beginning.  Don’t make the mistake of assuming you’ll kick out the novel you’ve been wanting to write in one month.  More likely than not, your goal is going to take some time.  My goals tend to be broad goals, ones that take time to complete.  I then cut those up into reasonable monthly sized goals to keep trach of in my journal of a life.  Remember that goals are meant to grow you as a person and to bring you a positive change in life.

3. Remember when you’re trying something new, it will take time to succeed.

Growing, we do it our entire life, it takes time, own it!  As an annoying perfectionist, this one can be hard for me to accept.  Even though I know change is a process, I tend to circle back with each goal and think this time I’ll get it right away.  But the purpose of a goal is to grow, not to be perfect.  Enjoy and laugh at the process!

Here are some examples to help my fellow readers out:

• Resolution, I will NEVER eat sugar again. Instead use goals, I choose to eat one sugar treat a week.
• Resolution, I am going to be more active this year. Instead use goals, I will work out 4 times a week.

I hope as you look over this new year and think about how you would like to grow and develop, is that you would set realistic and fun goals for YOU, and that you would see how amazing it is that we can even set goals and change that will make you enjoy this journey of a process.  Let’s make some real and beautiful changes in our lives this year, 2016!

I hope you learn. I hope you laugh. I hope you never stop. And remember being fit is always in style.

-Karlee Fowler