Setting new goals

Happy New Year everyone! For many of us, the start of the year means that we set new goals for ourselves. We plan to do more exercise, eat more vegetables, or spend less time on social media and more time with our families and friends.

For some, the resolution is enough, but for many of us, it can be difficult to know where to start to ensure our changes stick.

The author of Atomic Habits, James Clear, has developed three helpful questions to ask ourselves to make sure our habits are setting us up for success. Habits add up and create the direction your life goes so it makes sense to do a ‘habits audit’ to work out if you’re on track.

Can my current habits carry me to my desired future?

If you’re looking at increasing your exercise in 2023, it can be helpful to remove any barriers to success. For example, if you are in the habit of coming home after work and then finding it difficult to get motivated to go out again to the gym, consider changing your habit by going straight to the gym after work. The key is to make the behaviour you want to do easy and the behaviour you would prefer not to do, more difficult.

How can I create an environment that will naturally bring about my desired change?

What cues are around you that prompt habits? If you’re trying to change the foods you eat, try removing all the foods you want to eat less of from your pantry. You will be far less likely to eat foods that aren’t readily available. If you leave your gym bag by the door the night before, it will remind you of your intention to exercise the next day.

Does this activity fill me with energy or drain me of energy?

This question applies to all our activities but is particularly pertinent when thinking about our social media use. Many of us feel very drained after a session of ‘doomscrolling’ on Twitter, comparing ourselves to influencers or reading confronting news stories. James Clear’s advice on this point is to seek to improve our experience of social media by crafting a better information flow. Choose carefully who to follow on Twitter, what book to read or what podcast episodes to listen to. The more positive and informative, the better thoughts and ideas you’ll have down the track and the more energy you’ll have.

Be kind to yourself and remember that new habits take a while to form. If things aren’t falling into place straight away, give it time.

In the meantime, the team at TMC are happy to support you on your goals journey in 2023.