Every January, millions of people begin their New Year’s resolutions, and by February, the majority of them face challenges. The remaining individuals often struggle further and may eventually give up around March. According to an article by Fisher College of Business, only 9% of Americans who make New Year’s resolutions actually manage to complete them.
If that’s the case, why do so many people continue to set these resolutions each year? Shouldn’t we be exploring better approaches to goal-setting, rather than repeating a cycle of making resolutions only to fail miserably each time.
In this post, I will explain the best process for creating and attaining your goals. I will illustrate why it is essential to formulate your goals using these tips.
I will also provide examples of goals that you can incorporate into your New Year’s Resolutions, whether you are a Homemaker, Homeschooler, or an Orthodox Christian like myself.
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How to make a great New Year’s Resolution
In the past, I wasn’t one for New Year’s resolutions myself. I found them cheesy and unnecessary. However, as I grew up and matured, I realized that we all need goals. We need something to work towards; otherwise, where exactly are we going?
Perhaps they don’t need to be exclusively ‘New Year’s Resolutions,’ as you can set goals any time you like. Nevertheless, the new year is as good a time as any to start.
One of the best ways to make sure you complete your goals is to understand the process of making actionable goals in order to improve slowly over time. Don’t attempt to tackle everything at once by creating an extensive list of tasks in your life and trying to implement them all in the first week of January.
The reason most people fail at their resolutions is that they do too much, too fast. To truly establish a new habit, you need small, actionable steps that you can improve over time. Consider what you want your life to look like and then identify the goals necessary to get there.
Afterward, start with perhaps two or three of the easiest goals on your list or even just one. It can be extremely helpful to begin with the smallest, easiest goal that you know, without a doubt, you can accomplish. Focus on that one goal for 2-3 weeks before adding another.
The priest who baptized me and my family in the Orthodox Christian faith once told us, ‘If you’re having trouble remembering to say your prayers in the morning, then just start by waking up and making the sign of the cross.’
This is what I mean by starting with something small that you know you can do. But, of course, once you have that down, you need to challenge yourself to attain more.
S.M.A.R.T. Goals
The term that I’ve heard many successful people refer to when setting goals is ‘S.M.A.R.T. Goal.’
S- Specific: Be as specific as possible about your goal. Avoid using vague terms. You need to know exactly what you are supposed to be doing.
M – Measurable: You will need to quantify your goal. You want to live a healthier lifestyle and exercise more often? That’s wonderful! But how often do you want to do this? Three times a week? Or maybe twice?
A – Attainable and Achievable: Is this goal something you can actually achieve? Yes, I know we should be setting big goals as well. However, the key to reaching those really challenging and difficult goals is by breaking them up into many smaller and more manageable goals that we can reach one at a time. If your goal doesn’t seem achievable, how can you make it so?
R – Relevant and Realistic: Is this goal going to help you with your vision of the future? Or are you just doing it because it’s trendy? Make sure your goals are specific to what you want to become, not what other people are doing. Is it realistic? If you’re a 50-year-old surgeon but you have a goal to be the first person to step on Mars, that’s not relevant or realistic. I know this is a crazy off-the-wall example, but we need to be careful to check ourselves sometimes.
T – Timely: You need a timeline or a time limit for your goal. How often do you want to do this task and for how long? Or, by what date do you want this goal completed? You can break it up further too and say, ‘I want this task halfway done by this day and completed by this day.’
Non-SMART Goal:
‘I want to be healthier this year’—this is very vague, and there’s no way to actually track it. There’s no timeline, and it’s not measurable in any way.
How to make this goal SMART:
- I want to eat a minimum of 4 home cooked meals per week
- I want to eat no more than 2 take-out meals per month
- I want to do strength training at least 3 times per week
- I want to do 30 min of cardio at least 2 times per week
Not only does this give you a better idea of how to accomplish your goal, but you can keep track of it and see when you are making progress vs when you are slacking. Being able to see your progress is an incredible motivator.
New Year’s Resolution Ideas for Homemaking, Homeschooling and Orthodox Christian
Homemaking New Year’s Resolutions:
- Clean the kitchen and wash dishes every night before bed.
- Do one load of laundry every day.
- Unload the dishwasher every morning before breakfast.
- Have your children clean up the living room after dinner each night.
- Do a 15-minute pick-up around lunchtime every day to stay on top of the mess.
Related Posts:
- Homemaking 101- The Ultimate Guide for Beginners
- 10 Vintage Homemaking Tips for the Modern Housewife
Homeschooling New Year’s Resolutions:
- Read out loud to your children for 15 minutes each weekday.
- Complete two lessons for History and Science each week.
- Have one outdoor lesson at least once per week.
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Orthodox Christian New Year’s Resolutions:
Please remember that these are just ideas. Ideally, you should be discussing this sort of thing with your priest or spiritual father so they can better guide you.
There’s a LOT to the Orthodox Christian way of living, and your spiritual father can make sure you’re not going too hard, too fast. They can help you decide which goals are most important for you based on your own struggles.
- Doing your Morning and Evening Prayers each day before breakfast.
- Following the Fasting Guidelines on Wednesdays and Fridays (some priests will advise you to focus on this first, before attempting any of the longer fasting periods).
- Allotting a certain dollar amount or percentage of your paychecks toward charitable endeavors.
- If you haven’t already, establish a space in your home for your Icon/Prayer Corner.
Related Posts:
- Discovering Orthodoxy: 7 Reasons to Become Orthodox Christian
- 5 Orthodox Practices We Embrace After Baptism
Happy New Year’s!
As you start creating your New Year’s Resolutions, please remember that the path to success does not lie in grand gestures, but in the beauty of small, deliberate steps.
Reflecting on my own skepticism about New Year’s resolutions in the past, I’ve come to understand that goals are not about conforming to trends but about welcoming a vision for a better future.
We all need direction, something to strive for, and setting goals—whether in January or any other month—is an excellent way to find that purpose.
Be S.M.A.R.T. for 2024!
Remember the SMART criteria: Be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. Apply this to your resolutions, whether they involve homemaking, homeschooling, or your spiritual journey.
Break down the broader goals into manageable tasks, making it not just a resolution but a sustainable habit.
As we look ahead to the coming year, consider these goals not as a rigid checklist but as an evolving guide. Consult with your spiritual father or priest, share your aspirations, and seek guidance on what aligns best with your unique path within the Orthodox Christian faith.
In the end, let our resolutions be a testament to growth, resilience, and the beauty of progress—small, intentional steps that lead us toward the harmonious life we envision. May this year be a journey of purpose, guided by faith, and filled with the joy of accomplishing meaningful goals in our homes, homeschools, and spiritual lives.
If you found this post helpful, be sure to save this pin to your New Year’s Pinterest Board!
Great info, thanks for sharing!
Great ideas, thanks for sharing.