How to Make Goals You’ll Actually Stick to This Year, According to a Psychologist

With a new year comes new opportunities to grow and prosper, but it’s not always easy to make a lasting change. While we all start out with the best of intentions, aiming to lose weight, pick up a new skill or dust off that resume, sticking to your goals can prove to be a taxing and demanding premise. First, there’s the initial excitement and motivation to change—you hit the gym daily, eat healthily, and save all your money. You might even go so far as to buy a planner and schedule your daily workouts and meal plans, but slowly, the discipline wears off. It’s not uncommon.

New research from nutrition and food tracking app MyFitnessPal has revealed that more than four in 10 (43 per cent) Aussies will break their resolutions just one week into the new year, while the vast majority (71 per cent) will ditch them altogether by the end of January. When you consider that a reported 62 per cent of Australians plan to shed kilos this year, that’s a significant factor. According to PhD habit researcher and dietitian Dr. Gina Cleo, the trick to succeeding in your goals, whether fitness-based or otherwise, is to set more achievable targets.

“While it’s great that Australians are starting the New Year with healthy intentions in mind, research shows that most New Year’s resolutions do not stick, and in fact, are often repeated year after year,” Dr Cleo explained. “This tells us that we need to approach health goals with a more balanced mindset. Striving to improve your lifestyle, whether it is losing weight, exercising more or eating healthier, should always account for the unpredictability of everyday life.”

Goal Setting Strategies

To make the most of the new year, it’s important to set expectations early. For most Australians, that means revisiting your goal-setting strategies and looking at your key objectives broadly. Whether you plan to lose weight, learn a new language, or improve at work, the key to success is having something to work towards and keeping yourself accountable in the process.

With that in mind, we turned to Dr. Cleo and Melbourne-based psychologist Carly Dober for advice. With their insights and expertise, we compiled a list of foolproof tips to help you set smart goals, achieve objectives and become the best version of yourself this year.

1. Set Specific Goals

The SMART framework, utilised by many industry-leading psychologists, entrepreneurs and creatives, dictates that the first rule of goal setting is to be specific. By having a refined overarching goal in mind, you are better positioned to make progress towards that objective, focusing on small and meaningful steps along the way.

As Dober explained, instead of saying you want to ‘lose weight’, try setting a specific goal like ‘lose 10 kilograms by March’. Not only is this goal more achievable, but it also gives you a clear target to work towards. The more specific and realistic your goals are, the easier it will be to stick to them and actually see some progress.

“Too often, people can throw their resolutions in the bin when there’s not an immediate return, or life starts moving at a quick pace again,” said Dober. “Invite some flexibility into how you approach your goals, and remember that consistency is key. Be honest when making them. Ask yourself, is this what you really want or what you think you need? Goals meaningful to you will have a higher chance of sticking and becoming habits.”

2. Share Your Goals

The MyFitnessPal research also found that over a third of Australians (35 per cent) will choose to keep their resolutions private, with three-quarters (75 per cent) doing so to avoid judgement. While that might be a matter of self-preservation and shame, it can actually prevent you from achieving your goals. When you write them down or voice them to friends, you add a layer of accountability while building a foundational support network.

By actually taking the time to write down your goals, you’re setting yourself up for success. Not only does the physical act of writing something down help to solidify it in your mind, but you can also use your written plan as a reference throughout the year. Plus, there’s just something satisfying about crossing something off a list. So go ahead and grab a pen and paper (or open up a Google Doc) and start jotting down your goals for the new year.

Furthermore, when you share your goals with others, you add a layer of accountability to the process, but more than that, you gain the support of friends and family. When your motivation begins to wane and you find yourself slipping further away from your goals, turning to a friend or support person can help get you back on the right track.

In fact, a Michigan State University Extension study from 2014 showed that individuals who wrote down their goals and outlined action steps had a 76 per cent success rate in achieving them, especially when they shared weekly updates with a friend. This was compared to a 43 per cent success rate for those who didn’t document their goals. A little perspective can go a long way and having an external, third-party voice is a great way to shift your focus back to the primary objective.

3. Make A Plan

The third step in setting meaningful goals is to create a dedicated and detailed plan. By breaking your overarching goal into smaller pieces, you can tick off achievements continuously, which is critical in maintaining motivation and improving your sense of accomplishment. If you find this challenging, start from your end goal and work backwards.

If your overall goal is to lose 10 kilograms in the next 12 months, think about where you need to be in nine months to ensure you are on the right track. Then, you can set goals for six months, three months and one month. By breaking your goals down into manageable chunks, you can tackle them one step at a time and avoid getting overwhelmed. Dober says that a “little every day goes a long way when making long-term and sustainable behavioural changes”.

4. Track Your Progress

Tracking your progress is critical to ensuring you are making inroads on your goals. You gain an accurate view of your efforts when you consistently check your development against your plan. In many cases, you might feel you are getting nowhere, but measuring your results against your predetermined stages may reveal you are well on your way to accomplishing your goals. Conversely, you might think you are tracking along well, but a quick check-in might identify you have a little more work to do.

As nutritionist and MyFitnessPal ambassador Michaela Sparrow explained, regularly checking in on your progress creates a handy record to look back on. From here, you can adjust goals, measure outcomes, and reassess your overall performance.

“Knowledge is power. By using nutrition tracking apps like MyFitnessPal to monitor daily food intake and make adjustments that work for you, you’ll be able to create healthy routines that stick,” Sparrow said. “By being more aware of what you eat, you can make more informed choices, track your progress, and feel empowered to nourish your body – and start the new year off on the right foot.”

5. Reward Yourself

Rewarding yourself for a job well done is a core component of any major goal. Rather than simply waiting until you achieve your overarching objective, make sure you celebrate the small wins throughout the process. Each time you meet a milestone, celebrate with a small acknowledgement of your success. These simple reminders will keep you motivated and help you stay on track with your new goals—just don’t go overboard and ruin your hard work.

6. Don’t Be Too Hard On Yourself

A great way to avoid the inevitable doom and gloom of change is to ensure you aren’t being too hard on yourself. By being more adaptive and realistic, you can actually increase your chances of success. Just think about it: if you’re constantly beating yourself up for every little slip-up, you’re more likely to give up.

As Sparrow explained, when you give yourself a break and allow room for error, you are more likely to persevere and ultimately reach your goals. So go easy on yourself, cut yourself some slack, and enjoy the journey. After all, it’s not about being perfect; it’s about sustainable improvement.

“Whether beginning their journey ahead of time or maintaining discretion about their goals, it appears that for many Aussies, resolutions are set with high hopes but often end with broken promises,” Sparrow said. “Rather than waiting for the right occasion to start working on your health, I believe it’s all about finding the perfect balance between your life and your desired outcomes – 80 per cent of the time focusing on your goals and making progress, and 20 per cent of the time allowing yourself to enjoy the things and foods that bring you joy and help you stay motivated.”

7. Be Flexible

As with any change, a transformative goal will lead you to disruption. Circumstances will change, obstacles will arise and new challenges may present themselves; what is important is to not lose focus. In most instances, this will require you to be adaptive and roll with the punches. Don’t be afraid to revisit your plan and make subtle adjustments based on new information or insights. If you’re open to trying something new or tweaking your approach, you’ll be more likely to persevere and ultimately reach your goals.

8. Keep Your Goals In Perspective

Remember that your goals are meant to improve your life, not make it perfect. Don’t let your objectives consume you or create unnecessary stress. If you remember that it’s just about trying to be a little bit better than you were before, you’ll be more likely to persevere and ultimately reach your goals. Enjoy the journey and have fun while working towards your goals.

“The ultimate goal should be making sustainable lifestyle changes that last in the long-term,” Dr Cleo said. “By working on achievable goals and focusing on progress over time, we can set ourselves up for success and achieve lasting results.”

SMART Goals

If you are looking to make a change this year, using the SMART goal framework is the perfect place to start. First conceived by George T. Doran in the November 1981 issue of Management Review, the SMART criteria to set goals outlines five key metrics by which all objectives should be subject. This framework is commonly used in the fields of project management, employee performance management and personal development, as it provides actionable and accountable methods for measuring success. The SMART criteria dictates that all goals should be:

• Specific: Make sure you know exactly what you are planning to achieve. This should be quantitative, meaning that there is value associated with the goal rather than just a ‘feeling’. These goals are well-defined, clear, and unambiguous.
• Measurable: Each goal must have specific criteria against which to measure your progress. This will ultimately tell you if you are meeting expectations and on track.
• Achievable: An impossible goal is not really a goal at all. Make sure that you are working towards what can actually be achieved within the allotted timeframe.
• Relevant: Every goal should be relevant to you and your overall objective. There is no point in working towards a 100kg bench press if you want to run a marathon. Pick objectives that matter to you.
• Time-Bound: Set a specific timeframe to complete the task. By having an end date, you can prevent stagnation and ensure you meet specific milestones.

By following this framework, you will gain a much clearer understanding of the expected outcomes and requirements for success. Remember, goals are there to help you achieve your potential. Setting clear expectations helps you make sure you are on the right track.

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