Why you should set mini goals and ditch your New Year’s resolution

Do you make a New Year’s resolution every year and two months down the road, forget about it altogether? We do. It usually is in the form of a diet, exercise more or being more mindful. Can we really just drop everything and stick to these large inflated goals? How can we set mini goals and stick to them?

A look back at our New Year’s resolutions

Let’s take a look at last year. Last year, one of us made a New Year’s Resolution to be more mindful while the other made a resolution to eat less sugar and dairy. While we did our best, we made resolutions that were too big, and in all honesty, we know that resolutions don’t last a whole year!

Here’s the thing: we never stick to New Year’s resolutions. Most people don’t. We are on to the next thing by the end of the week. Just as we were planning out the next bound-to-be-abandoned “resolution” we stumbled upon a CNN segment about setting mini-goals instead of pie-in-the-sky resolutions. For example, planning to eat healthy during the week and splurge on a small treat on a Saturday night, just so the traditional intense diet resolution doesn’t seem so daunting. So, we say that we should try to set mini goals for ourselves that we can actually keep.

How we can set mini goals on a regular basis

Let’s say that we start a new mini goal at the beginning of every week, something we can actually keep. For example, I would like to incorporate carving out some “me” time during the week so I think I will block off an hour on a Wednesday evening to get something done for myself. Sure, you may have to get someone to watch your kids but taking care of yourself is important too, correct?

Your mini goals don’t necessarily have to be about you either. You can start with asking your kids every Monday what goals they want to set weekly too. They may want to read a new genre of literature or add an extra vegetable or fruit to their weekly school lunches.

And it doesn’t have to stop with you or your kids, you can get your spouse involved. I typically make a huge list for my husband to accomplish during the week. Since that may seem a little extreme, I am thinking about asking him to set some goals too. That way, I am not the one to constantly nag him about getting things done around the house.

Don’t forget to be reasonable!

What we are suggesting is setting reasonable goals for yourself with a shorter time limit so that you are setting yourself up for success! Take those big resolutions, like eating healthy or staying organized and make them smaller mini goals so that you can achieve them at the end of the a week or two. Be selective about the goal you choose on a specific week. We all know some weeks are more hectic than others, so for example, you might not want to choose a week where you have lots of meals planned out of the house to work on healthier eating. Setting mini goals is all about being successful in trying something new!

We are definitely going to try to set my family up for success with these mini type goals. Download our free template to help you with you goal setting each week!

Click to download: New Years Goals

Images taken by @alimartell

Do you have any mini goals that you will be working on? Share them below so that we can all better ourselves and learn from eachother.

Meet the Author | SavvySassyMoms

The Savvy Sassy Moms are professional educators and mothers with more than 30 years of educating experience and over 20 years of combined parenting experience between them. With a true passion for engaging with moms and sharing their bright and relatable savvy and sassy know-how, they bring current and exciting content to Savvy Sassy Moms for all stages of motherhood as well as help and guidance for all the in-betweens! Connect with Savvy Sassy Moms on Instagram