New Year’s Resolutions: Stages of Change, SMART Goals, and Building Habits
Have you ever made a new years resolution that ended up fizzling out in a few short weeks? If so, you are definitely not alone. It is common for people to dedicate themselves to really big life changes they’d like to make with the new year as it is a fresh start. However, resolutions tend to die down once we fall back into our old routines and habits which leave us feeling disappointed in ourselves. This is why teens benefit from understanding the stages of change, making SMART goals, and developing habits to achieve those goals.
What are the Stages of Change?
A new years resolution often feels like an on/off switch—I will start something new on January 1st and keep going! However, recovering from undesirable behaviors requires taking steps. When teens learn the stages of change, they can come to understand that ending a behavior and developing a new habit is a process. The stages of change are:
Precontemplation: Not yet acknowledging that there is a problem or a behavior that you would benefit from changing. If your bad habit is school avoidance, maybe you don’t recognize yet that it’s a problem.
Contemplation: Acknowledging that there is a problem, but not being ready to make the change. Maybe you don’t know if you want to make the change, or you lack the confidence to do it. For example, “I know that going to school is going to prepare me for the future, but I don’t know how to overcome my anxiety about going to school.”
Preparation and Determination: Deciding that you do want to make the change and making a plan to do so. With the school avoidance example, you have decided that you do want to attend school regularly, and you’re learning how to achieve that goal.
Action and Willpower: Taking the steps necessary to make the change. This might require talking to your parents, having a meeting with your school counselor, or joining a school avoidance group to learn skills to overcome your anxiety. You start attending school regularly.
Maintenance: Maintaining the behavior change. You continue to attend school regularly.
Make SMART Goals, Not Resolutions
One reason why resolutions usually don’t work is because they do not fit the simple guidelines of a SMART goal. Being eager to make too many big changes all at once will leave you feeling defeated more often than not. Using this criteria can help you form goals that will work for you not against you. Here are the SMART goals, with examples in the form of exercise:
S= Specific: “I would like to go to the gym once or twice a week” vs. “I want to get fit.”
M= Measurable: “I want to be able to lift fifty pounds” vs. “I want to be strong.”
A= Achievable: “I want to work out at home” vs. “I can’t work out because I can’t afford a gym membership.”
R= Realistic: “I want to increase my running speed” vs. “I want to run a marathon next week.”
T= Time Bound: “I want to get in shape in time to do sports next school year” vs. “I want to get in shape eventually.”
How Teens Can Build Habits to Achieve Goals
Goals are the easiest to achieve when they become part of our habits. The best way to efficiently build habits is by attaching them to something we already do and incorporating a reward.
For example:
After I get home from school I will go for a walk
After I go for a walk I will make a healthy snack
After I finish doing the dishes I will do yoga for 20 minutes
After I do yoga I will watch my favorite show
Not only do you now have a time in which you are dedicating yourself to make these changes, but you are also rewarding yourself for being dedicated to them. Make sure these rewards are aligned with your goals and not counterintuitive.