Goals, resolutions, vision boards...why?
Happy 2026 Everybody!!!
How ya'll doing?
What ya'll been doing?
Last time, I was writing my blog I was feeling completely depleted, but now I FEEL AMAZING!!!! What changed? SELF-CARE! I slowed down to take care of myself. I did things that I enjoyed. I said NO to things that weren’t serving me. The result, I have more clarity, I feel rejuvenated, and I’M READY!
STAY READY SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO GET READY!
Early January is typically a time when people are creating vision boards, setting goals, reinventing themselves, making resolutions, and contemplating next moves. (Small eye roll, maybe a big eye roll with a dramatic sigh). I don’t think any of those things are wrong, I just think they are sometimes misguided and lack next steps. The activities can be motivating and even fun, but often they fall short of INTENTIONAL reflection and action steps. I admit I spend time after the holidays re-evaluating goals, realigning my behavior with my desires, and considering if I’m enjoying what I’m doing. Let’s talk about how we do this without overwhelming ourselves.
CHALLENGING PERSPECTIVE IS GAME CHANGING!
1. How does creating a vision board help you meet your goals?
2. Why are you setting these goals?
3. Are you improving yourself?
4. Did you achieve resolutions last year? Why or why not?
5. What makes a new year the “right time” to make changes?
6. As a mental health therapist, I must ask, “Are the goals SMART?”
Phrase goals in the affirmative. Identify what you will do versus what you won’t do.
S.M.A.R.T. GOALS
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time Oriented
Specific
I will eat 5 servings of veggies a day versus I will be healthy.
Measurable
Being able to measure helps track progress.
Monday, I ate 3 servings of veggies. (Three servings is not a failure. Remember progress).
Achievable
I like to add, realistic. If you have never eaten a veggie in your life, is it likely that you will start eating 5 veggies tomorrow and remain consistent until forever? Most likely not. Don’t set yourself up for failure. That kills motivation and mood! Start small and increase as you make progress. Maybe it’s more achievable and realistic if you start with, I will eat one veggie a day.
Relevant
I LOVE THIS ONE! This is very self-reflective. Why is this goal important? Does it align with my values, beliefs and desires? Am I falling into a trend that does not matter to me?
Consider this: Someone wants to begin to experience new things in life, so they set a goal to try something new once a month. The person is a creative individual and hates sports. Why would they set a goal to try a new sport every month? It doesn’t align with who they are or what they enjoy. (This speaks to reinventing yourself and trying to change yourself into someone you are not. Please beware of doing this! It’s very, very rarely helpful.) Instead, the person can set a goal to engage in a new creative activity every month. I know this sounds simple, but we can sometimes stumble over simplicity.
Time oriented
Setting a deadline helps create a sense of urgency and keeps us on track. It gives a deadline to re-evaluate the goal. Every year, I re-evaluate my business goals and finances. I determine if I received a return on my investment and if not, I decide on what I need to change or stop. Every goal doesn’t need to be a forever goal. Maybe the goal needs to be tweaked a little because your focus has changed or the outcome you wanted wasn’t achieved. That’s okay! That’s why a timed deadline is important; it’s a reminder to re-evaluate what we’ve been doing (or not doing). If you haven’t done the thing, reflect and figure out why.
Goals are for self-improvement. NOT TO COMPLETELY CHANGE YOURSELF.
Do you really need to reinvent yourself or do you need to improve in some areas of your life?
Reinventing yourself every year or repeatedly, you might want to ask yourself, “Why?” Very rarely do we completely change ourselves and if we feel the need to, the real question is - What did I get wrong last time I was reinventing myself?
One of my latest YouTube videos focused on Challenging Your Perspective in 2026. I admit this can be hard, but…We Can Do Hard Things! Check out 2026 Challenge - Buried or Planted?
Please visit my author website to learn more about my book, Adventures in Love, and to subscribe to monthly Thoughtful Notes sent to your email. Thoughtful Notes are very short “notes” to encourage self-reflection on an array of topics, such as relationships, self-awareness, and mental health and to provide tips to help with living well. I know many people are decreasing their social media use and online presence, if that’s you, go to my author website to subscribe to receive my blogs twice a month to your email.