New Year’s Resolutions, Self-exploration, and Goal Setting

Looking ahead to the upcoming New Year provides us an opportunity to slow down, reflect on the year that has passed, and think about our dreams, wishes, and goals. As the present year draws to a close, many people partake in the common tradition of setting New Year’s resolutions. In fact, New Year’s resolutions date back to ancient Rome (“Why Do People Make New Year’s Resolutions?,” n.d.). The month of January derives its name from the ancient Roman god, Janus, who had two faces that allowed him to simultaneously look forward and backward (“Why Do People Make New Year’s Resolutions?,” n.d.). The Romans pictured that on December 31, Janus was looking at both the past and upcoming year, and so the Romans forgave enemies and made promises in the hopes of being blessed for the year ahead (“Why Do People Make New Year’s Resolutions?,” n.d.).

While modern motivations behind New Year’s resolutions may have changed since their origin, the desire for prosperity, happiness, and health that often underlies them remains the same. Unfortunately, many of us know from experience that such goals frequently fail. However, research is now revealing that there are effective ways to set goals that will better ensure their success. The COVID-19 pandemic has also provided many people with an opportunity to slow down and reconsider what they truly value in life. Assessing one’s values can uncover what is important to them, which will help in setting effective, desirable goals (Wade, 2009).

Self-exploration of Values

Values give our lives meaning, inspire us to continue in the face of adversity, and can help guide our decision making (Selig, 2018). They are derived from many sources, such as childhood, family, religious teachings, and society overall (Selig, 2018). When decisions in life result in outcomes that are out of alignment with our values, we may suffer from unhappiness or dissatisfaction (“What Are Your Values?”, n.d.).

Having clearly defined values can help keep negative emotions at bay by not allowing fear, anxiety, and self-doubt take over when faced with difficult circumstances, and may even help individuals who suffer from depression (Tartakovsky, 2021). Values can help us set firm boundaries and allocate our time and resources to what really matters (Tartakovsky, 2021).

However, many people go through life without a deep sense of who they are and what they value. Even though identifying our values might sound like a simple task, the reality may be more complex. This is where a self-exploration exercise to uncover your values may be helpful. There are many ways to go about this, including:

• Thinking about those you love and admire: examining the values embodied by the people you love may help you in adopting those values for yourself (Selig, 2018).
• Using a values inventory: there are various online inventories available to help you uncover your values in a structured way, such as the Life Values Inventory (Selig, 2018).
• Self-observation and assessment: by living mindfully and questioning the values behind the decisions you make, you can learn a lot about what drives your motivations and ideals (Selig, 2018).
• Reflecting on the past: thinking of times when you were most fulfilled and satisfied with your life can also help to uncover the things that make your life meaningful (“What Are Your Values?”, n.d.). Take a moment to reflect on which core values were being prioritized during this time (Tartakovsky, 2021).
• Visualizing your ideal self: using an image of the person you’d like to become can expose your values (Raypole, 2020). What characteristics does this person embody, and what matters to them?
• Exploring your passions: passions help make life meaningful, and can offer powerful insights into the things that result in enrichment and happiness (Raypole, 2020). Passions can involve the bigger picture, like a career, but can also include hobbies and how we spend our free time (Raypole, 2020).
• Talking to a therapist: speaking with a professional may offer an objective, third-party perspective in guiding self-discovery (Raypole, 2020).

Goal Setting

Despite their popularity, most New Year’s resolutions fail within the first three months (Oscarsson, et al., 2017). However, there are scientifically proven ways to increase the odds of success. One study showed that participants who set approach-oriented goals (goals that aim to achieve a positive outcome) were more successful than those who set avoidance-oriented goals (goals that aim to avoid a negative outcome) (Oscarsson, et al., 2020). An example of an approach-oriented goal might be, “I want to earn a promotion this year,” whereas an avoidance-oriented goal might be, “I want to avoid performing poorly at my job.” That same study showed that when structured appropriately, New Year’s resolutions can have lasting impacts, even when participants were surveyed a year later (Oscarsson, et al., 2020).

Many people are also familiar with the SMART framework, an acronym that can be used to help guide goal setting. The first known use of the term was in 1981 by George T. Doran. However, experts have revised SMART goals to include two more principles, thus changing the acronym to SMARTER (Wade, 2009). For example, a goal might be to increase your fitness level. Here is how to break that goal down using SMARTER goal setting:

S – Specific | Goals should be clear and precise, including who, what, when, where, and why. Example: “I will visit the local fitness centre to go swimming three times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes each time.”

M – Measurable | Tracking goals and measuring their success will help you stay on-track. Example: “I will use my fitness watch to set timers for 30 minutes while I am in the pool. I will track my weekly progress using a wall calendar in my kitchen.”

A – Achievable | Goals should be realistic and attainable, while pushing your abilities. Example: “Since I am not yet a highly proficient swimmer, 30 minutes in the pool is an achievable starting point.”

R – Relevant | Ensure your goals, and actions taken in achieving them, are aligned with your values, as well as with any other goals. Example: “I value my health because it is the foundation to feeling my best. Swimming is also a good form of exercise, and will thus help me achieve my goal.”

T – Timely | Establish a target completion date, and set time aside to work on goals. Example: “I will make sure to pencil in time three times a week for exercise in my agenda planner. I will know I have achieved my goal after going to the fitness centre on a weekly basis for six months.”

E – Evaluated | Once the goal is complete, take a moment to evaluate and consider how you might approach similar goals in the future. Example: “After six months, I will evaluate this goal. I will consider how much my fitness level has improved, as well as additional improvements to my mood and Parkinson’s symptoms. I will also reflect on any obstacles I faced along the way, such as a busy work and social life.”

R – Rewarded | Setting rewards may increase motivation to achieve your goals. Example: “Once I have achieved my goal, I will celebrate by taking a vacation to a nearby spa resort.”

To further increase the odds of succeeding, it is vital to set goals that are aligned with your values (Centre for Creative Leadership, 2020). When goals do not align with what people consider important in life, there is little motivation for success (Centre for Creative Leadership, 2020). However, when people set values-based goals, they tend to enjoy the process of achieving their goals more, and also experience greater happiness when they succeed (Thompson, 2020). By keeping values front and centre when deciding on your goals for the upcoming year, you can ensure a harmonious balance between what matters to you and what you want to achieve.

Sources

Center for Creative Leadership. (2020, January 15). How to set achievable goals that align with your values. Retrieved from https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectivelyarticles/achievable-personal-goals-align-with-values

Oscarsson, M., Carlbring, P., Andersson, G., & Rozental, A. (2020). A large-scale experiment on New Year’s resolutions: Approach-oriented goals are more successful than avoidanceoriented goals. PLoS ONE 15(12): e0234097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234097

Oscarsson, M., Rozental, A., Andersson, G., & Carlbring, P. (2017). New Year's resolutions: A large scale randomized controlled trial. 11–11. Retrieved from http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-149191

Raypole, C. (2020, June 11). 9 tips to help you kick off your self-discovery journey. Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/self-discovery

Selig, M. (2018, November 4). 6 ways to discover and choose your core values. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/changepower/201811/6-ways-discover-andchoose-your-core-values

Tartakovsky, M. (2021, July 20). Discover your values. Psych Central. Retrieved from https://psychcentral.com/blog/discover-your-values

Thompson, K. (2020, February 7). How defining values keeps you motivated toward your goals. Thrive Global. Retrieved from https://thriveglobal.com/stories/how-defining-values-keepsyou-motivated-toward-your-goals

Wade, D. (2009). Goal setting in rehabilitation: An overview of what, why and how. Clinical rehabilitation, 23(4), 291–295. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269215509103551

What are your values? Deciding what's most important in life (n.d.). Mind Tools. Retrieved from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_85.htm 

This content was published in the December 2021 edition of our monthly support group newsletter, GroupLink. The content was accurate as of this publication date.