With the new year, it can be an exciting new chapter. Personally, I’m a believer of goals, not resolutions. What’s the difference? Resolutions are general, vague things that you want to attain and typically end two weeks into January (funny how I’m releasing this post two weeks into January).

All over the world, carcasses of “get more fit” resolutions lay beside discarded and ignored gym memberships. But when you set goals, specifically SMART goals, you have a way higher chance of sticking to them.

Admittedly, I haven’t been one to stick to my habits for an extended period of time. Like most people, I get super excited when I start setting goals. But by the third week, I’m already starting to slack. By the end of the month, I’ve given up entirely and have quietly stepped away. These tips can help you (and me) make it through!

1. Write it!

Firstly, how you write your goals is important. Write your goals in a SMART way: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-based. I’m a fan of Tony Robbins, and one of his books outlines how to best set goals. One tip was to include the word “easily” in the statement. Just by including this adjective, I feel excited that I can accomplish it with ease. In other words, it makes the hill seem easier to conquer!

2. See it!

It’s important that my goals are constantly somewhere I can always see them. For me, I’m always on my laptop all the time so I typed them on a sticky note on my laptop’s home page. Stick them somewhere you know that you can see it. Everyday, say or write down your goal in the present tense.

3. Envision it!

The ability to envision and imagine your goals is pretty powerful. In fact, there’s quantum physics to back this up, but don’t ask me to try and explain it to you. In other words, if you teach your brain that you really desire the goal, your subconsciousness will listen. For example, I want to own a Tesla one day. I swear I see a Tesla almost everyday out of the blue! Making a vision board can also help you to visualize what you want to accomplish.

4. Share it!

Apparently, I can let myself down even though I hate to let other people down. Ever made decision that you’ll just study on your bed but end up falling asleep? Ever promised yourself you’d approach that prof about their work but chickened out? Finding someone to keep you accountable might help a lot. For instance, hook one of your friends into brainstorming and sharing goals with each other. Try setting a reward (I would stay away from punishments) if either of you accomplish the goals. Make plans to do a monthly review to make sure that both of you are on track. Sharing your successes and setbacks with someone can make the journey even more rewarding.

As a way to stay accountable, I wanted to share some of my goals for 2019. Feel free to take these as inspiration to set your own! Above all, the best time is now. 🙂

2019 yearly goals

  • I will easily score 150 on Verbal and 145 on Quant for the GREs by May 25th, 2019
  • I will easily obtain straight As (at least 86%) on all my courses for this term by April 30, 2019
  • I will easily attain my RFTS goals by December 31, 2019
  • I will easily go to San Diego to work with Dr. Pham at San Diego State University by September 30, 2019 
  • I will easily host a workshop for students by April 30, 2019

Here’s to the new year, and making goals that stick!