As we kick off a beautiful new year, you have may joined the millions who make New Year’s resolutions. Not everyone calls them that, but for many people a new year makes them feel like they should start new habits and make grand plans.

If it feels like the perfect time for you to tackle goal setting and disrupt negative patterns in your life, go for it! To raise the probability that you’ll crush it in 2023, use the secrets learned in a recent study by the American Psychological Association:

1

Write down your goals.

Auntie was right about this one all along!

Writing a goal down changes how your brain perceives it. Written goals also provide an accurate reminder outside yourself because sometimes your memory cannot be trusted.

Fact: People who write down their goals are 20% more likely to achieve them than people who don’t write them down, even if the “non-writers” do have unwritten goals. (Get details on this from a study by Prof. Gail Matthews.)

2

Break the goal into steps and commit to them.

Breaking a goal into executable chunks helps the goal feel more achievable. It also allows you to benefit from small wins. As you knock down each step, you’ll feel successful before you even reach the end. Bonus: you won’t overwhelm yourself or your schedule and you’ll feel more motivated to keep going.

Fact: Committing to actionable steps as part of your goal achievement plan has a larger positive impact than setting goals without breaking them into actionable steps. (Get details on this from the American Psychological Association study.)

3

Tell somebody.

Don’t tell everybody (that can actually have a negative effect, according to a study by Peter M. Gollwitzer, a professor at NYU). But, choose somebody you can share goals with that will hold you accountable. Maybe it’s the bestie you know will check on your progress. Maybe it’s a group of 3 or 4 of you that all discuss your plans together. Just choose someone and a check-in rhythm that works; it’ll help.

Fact: Weekly progress reporting to encouraging peers can improve your goal-achieving success by 40%. (Get details on this from a study by Prof. Gail Matthews.)

While achieving goals does take work & wait, the journey can be made easier and more prosperous when you set yourself up for success. Let me know in the comments if you’re trying any of these secrets and how it’s going.

Always the truth in love, Auntie