While it feels good to think a new year brings a new you, New Year Resolution doesn’t really change anything unless you change the inputs.

A new year, a new you. Right?

Wrong.

You don’t change more than a fraction between December 31st and January 1st.

Yes, you get a boatload of motivation with the New Year and the celebration. You get hopeful that you can turn a new leaf in life. A new year, in a way, allows you to restart.

But motivation is overrated, and can’t get you too far. Your hope stays for a month or so, and then it becomes business as usual.

Tony Robbins aptly said,

If you change nothing, nothing changes

Tony Robbins

Hoping doesn’t change anything. Yes, setting a new year resolution and goals can get you started. But that won’t last unless you have a system.

According to a 2016 study, only 9% of those who made a new year resolution could keep it after a year. You can hope to be part of that 9% or you can increase your chances.

Why do people fail at keeping up with new year resolution ?

According to a 2014 study, 35% of those who failed said they had unrealistic goals. 33% said they failed as they didn’t keep track of their progress.

Another 23% forgot about their new year resolution. Around 10% said they made too many resolutions.

Instead of creating a resolution and hoping to change things, if you set S.M.A.R.T. goals for the year and support them with a routine, you will have better chances of succeeding.

How S.M.A.R.T. goals and routine can help you become a better you

• Firstly, you need to create a set of S.M.A.R.T. goals.
• Then, you should create a draft routine that’d help you attain your goals
• After that, you should check if the routine fits your lifestyle and adapt accordingly
• Lastly, you should place periodic trackers to check where you stand (This should also be part of your routine)

Step 01: What are S.M.A.R.T. goals and how to create them

S.M.A.R.T. Goal stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-based goals.

I want to lose weight is a generic statement. But “I want to lose 10 pounds of weight in the next six months by reducing my calorie intake to 1400/day and exercising 4 times a week” is a SMART goal.

I want to travel the world is a dream. On the other hand, “I want to travel the world starting with 3 countries in next 12 months by traveling during my annual leave and using my bonus” is a SMART goal.

In the second example, it’s specific — you are talking about three countries. It’s measurable — you can check how many countries you have gone to after a year. Secondly, it’s attainable — as you are talking about using your leave and bonus. Thirdly, it’s relevant — you are planning based on your ultimate dream. Finally, it’s time-based — you want this goal to realize within the next 12 months.

When you have a S.M.A.R.T. goal, you are already laying out a plan.

How to create them (Avoid the trap of too many goals)

In one of his sessions, Tony Robbins suggested creating no more than nine goals- 3 personal, 3 financial, and 3 material. Personal goals can include weight loss or learning a skill. Material goals are about purchasing something or funding a trip. Watch the video below —

Youtube video of Tony Robbins on Goal Setting

You can target a similar number or lower number of goals. I suggest a lower number and work your way up from there.

Check the areas of your life that need the most focus. The most popular resolutions include weight loss, saving money, getting a new job, earning more, quitting a habit, etc.

Select the ones that resonate with you the most and get ready to create a plan.

Step 02: Create a S.M.A.R.T. routine to get to your S.M.A.R.T. goal

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

Every success you can think of came from consistent effort over time. The researchers who designed the COVID vaccine spent their lives (decades) studying and working in the field. The athlete who won gold medals in Olympic trainer for years. The new Nike sneakers came to market after months of designing, testing, and production.

Your goal doesn’t matter if you don’t put in the effort every day.

Let’s assume your goal is to earn $100,000 in a year. You can hope to win a lottery or suddenly stumble upon the money.

Or you can try to get a job that pays that much and then start earning the amount.

You can also create a digital course worth $25 and sell 11 of them every day. By selling 11 courses worth $25, you will get $275 every day. Do that for 365 days and you will get $100,000.

Drops of water make up the ocean. Your small and consistent effort will get you to any goal.

How to create a routine that helps you get to your goals

1. Break down your goal into smaller pieces.
2. Take those small pieces and fit them into your daily routine
3. Do the same for all of your goals

Let’s assume your goals are to pass the CFA exam, earn $10,000 from your side hustle and lose 10 kg weight in a year.

You break them down into smaller pieces and realize you will have to study for 10 hours per week to pass the CFA exam. To earn $10,000, you decide to create a blog and a course — you gauge that on average you have to create for 7 hours/week, learn about course selling & blogging for 2.5 hours and promote for 2.5 hours/ week. Lastly, to lose weight, you need to eat healthily and exercise for 1 hour/ day.

Your draft routine can look like this —

• Wake up at 6 AM
• Write an article for an hour ( 7 hours a week)
• Exercise an hour ( 7 hours a week)
• Go to work
• Listen to a CFA lecture for 30 minutes during the commute to work (2.5 hours a week)
• Only go to the salad bar during lunch (Avoid any snack during the day & keep some nuts instead)
• Listen to a podcast/ watch a video on promoting your course & blog on your way back home (2.5 hours a week)
• Study for an hour before dinner during weekdays (5 hours a week)
• Work on the course after dinner for 30 minutes — skip the weekends. (2.5 hours a week)
• In addition, you plan to study for 2.5 hours during each of the weekends (5 hours a week)

By dividing your goal and creating a draft routine, you have a roadmap to your future.

Make sure your routine is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant (you can’t plan to exercise during lunchtime), and time-based.

Step 03: Test the draft routine

Just because you created a routine doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you.

You should treat your draft routine like a feedback loop. Check if it matches your lifestyle, or if it’s too hard to maintain. If it’s too hard, make adjustments to your daily routine and if needed to your goals.

For example, after a month of testing, you realize that the routine mentioned above is difficult to maintain in the following areas —

• You only can listen to CFA lessons 4 days a week
• You can’t exercise more than 5 days a week
• Studying 2.5 hours on both weekends is draining. It’s better if it’s just one of the weekends.
• You don’t have enough time every day after dinner to work on courses. You can only do that 4 days a week.

Ask if it’s ok to make those changes without denting your goals. If yes, then go with it.

If not, you may have to prioritize your goals. Based on priorities, you will then have to cut down on some goals. For example, you may decide to stop working on courses for now and do that after your CFA is over.

Remember, if it’s too tough. You won’t be able to maintain. So pace yourself properly.

Step 04: Track your progress regularly

This tracking can happen during weekends.

Start the morning by weighing yourself. Are you getting closer to your goals? If not, ask if you have been following the routine properly or if you need to do more.

Then check how much you have advanced with your CFA preparation. How is your blog doing? Has it reached the point where it should be?

You get the drift.

This tracking is a must to ensure you don’t fall short.

You can even outsource this to someone else. Your partner, best friend, parents, and even colleagues can also help to keep you on track.

To summarize: A New Year Resolution is just a single step

A new year, and a new you — it’s a noble thought.

Don’t let this thought turn into disappointment by setting yourself up for failure or not creating a road to success.

Creating a goal or new year resolution is just the first step.

Without a system, a goal can’t survive.

Let’s begin!

This article was first published on Medium.