I wonder if you do the whole New Years Resolutions thing?

Personally it is something that I tend not to do myself but I am mindful that some folk do tend to do them and I am also mindful that for some they only end up as another vehicle through which we can feel like we have failed again.

Some of us can be like that sometimes can’t we?  Focusing on the failures and not the successes?  Our internal dialogue seems to take over, bashing us over our heads with these things.  And indeed when you experience mental illness or poor mental health sometimes this can be heightened.

So how about this year we be “SMART” about it? How about we use ‘Smart Goals’ when making New Year’s resolutions if we are to make them?

‘Smart goals’ are goals used within projects in order increase the potential for success. And below you will find a list of the usual ‘smart goals’, plus (in red) a few that I have added which I feel are important if you, like me,  experience mental illness or poor mental health…

S – specific, significant, stretching, safe,

M – measurable, meaningful, motivational, manageable,

A – agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable, action-oriented, affirming,

R – realistic, relevant, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented, rational,

T – time-based, timely, tangible, trackable, thoughtful.

So how about it?  If we are going to do the whole New Year’s Resolution thing, and start the year off with a personal project how about we do so being “smart”!