January 16, 2020

Starting Off the New Year Right

Mental Health & Wellbeing

The start of the new year is always a good time to reflect on the past year and make goals for the future. The new year can be great, filled with a lot of positives, and on the other side it can also be a difficult season for people. What I mean is the turn of the new year t can bring up tough memories from the previous year. Examples include loved ones who have passed, financial hardships, friendships that have been lost.. Because of these different positive and negative aspects that the new year can bring for some people, it is a great time to start counseling.

Categorize your goals

When making goals for the new year it is important to place them into categories as you can then make goals for different areas of your life. Have different categories for goals pertaining to any of the following like physical health, mental health, relationship goals, family goals, spiritual growth, education, and career goals. Depending on your life circumstances, you might have different categories than someone else, but whatever your categories are, try to make 2-3 goals within each one.

Make your goals ambitious, yet realistic

It’s really important to be able to see your goal, and actually accomplish it. Keeping this in mind, make your goals ambitious; where you will have to strive and work hard to achieve them. However, also make sure that they are not so unrealistic that you will never accomplish them. For example, if you have not worked out in a while, then stick away from making a goal to work out every day for the year. Instead make it more realistic and adaptable: maybe work out 2-3 days a week, or have the goal to lose a certain amount of weight, or to gain a specific amount of muscle. Whatever the goal you have in mind is, make it both ambitious, and realistic.

Display your goals

Finally, display your goals someplace where you will see them every day so you can have a positive reminder to work towards completing it. By displaying your goal, it can also keep you motivated towards completing them. I have some clients who like to write them on a piece of paper and hang it next to their bathroom mirror, that way they see it every time they brush their teeth, or put on make-up. I have other clients who put them on a note in their phone. Just make sure it’s somewhere you will see them often.

If you are having a hard time thinking of some goals for 2020 or are having a hard time implementing your goals into your everyday life, then we would love to help!. Please reach out, making mental health a priority for 2020 should be at the top of everyone’s list! Give us a call today!

Written by therapist Alex Parlette

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