- Building compounding habits is far more important than a one-time goal
- Finding an accountability partner that helps you stay on track
- Doing a regular self-reflection:
1. I write a review about every area of your life (e.g., Family, Relationship, Friends, Experiences, Passions, Business, Money, Emotion, Health).
2. I then focus on the top two areas I want to improve. I write a preview with concrete action items and measurable goals.
3. I email my notes to my future self (in 90 days, using a free service) to remind myself what my previous thoughts were and to repeat this exercise.
How do you set and track your life goals?
These resolutions are made out of a place of desperation, out of the fear of another year going by without making some kind of (often unrealistic) change.
Once the “new year season” is over, people forget all about them.
All the methods you use to establish good habits are very useful ones! In addition to those, I think someone wanting to make changes should read materials on the subject of how our minds make and break habits.
But I’d say we should detach that process from “New Years resolutions,” because those only really stick around until the next Hallmark Holiday rolls around.
The last thing I’ll say is that sometimes you don’t need to make a change. We should all find our own ways to be happy with just existing.
My system is very similar to yours. I think that using a snooze or sending them to yourself is good.
1/ Optional. I make a list of the general areas in my life that are important to me, e.g. "family", "friends", "art", "work" ... 2/ I define a list of targets for the year accross those areas. I try to get them limited (between 5 and 15), achievable and measurable (even if I accept a few deviations). 3/ I review them every months. To reinforce "commitment", I would perhaps advice a "target buddy", even if it is just to send him or her your monthly update.