How to Set Goals for the New Year and Stick to Them

Are you making a New Year’s Resolution? We hear this question every year and it might seem cliche to make a New Year’s Resolution but there is no better time to set goals than the new year! Setting goals, whatever yours may be, in the new year gives you a sense of a fresh start, and a new beginning!

2020 has been a hard year for everyone and if you need a little extra boost for 2021 we will help you to create goals you can stick to this year!

1. Set SMART Goals

In order to set yourself up for success with your New Year’s Resolution, you need to set effective goals. We recommend using S.M.A.R.T goals. S.M.A.R.T goals are a great way to create goals that you can reach.

Specific

When creating your goal you want to be very detailed and clearly defined with what you want to achieve. An example of this is instead of saying “I will run more” say “I will run every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after work for 30 minutes.”

Measurable

Measurable goals allow you to actually track the success of your progress. As you measure your goals and get closer to achieving it you will feel a sense of accomplishment and extra motivation to complete your goal. A measurable goal will answer the questions; how much? How many? And how will I know when it’s accomplished? Using the same example from above you could say “I will know I reached my goal when I can run 30 minutes without having to stop for a break”.

Attainable

When setting goals make sure that they are goals you can actually achieve. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t dream big but you don’t want to set goals that you have no hopes of achieving, as this is ultimately setting yourself up for failure. It’s important to identify the steps to reach your goal. Using the example from above if you are not very physically active it would be good to start out with walking for 30 minutes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Once you have gained enough stamina, you can continue to jog until you are comfortable with running.

Relevant

Setting relevant goals is primarily to intend that they are in the direction you want your life or career to be going. The purpose of goals is to constantly improve and if you are not setting goals within the realm of where you want to be you need to reevaluate them.

Timely

Setting timely goals are simply placing a time frame on them. Setting a deadline will give a sense of urgency and will allow you to celebrate success when you accomplish it! When setting a time frame it is helpful to break your larger goals into smaller ones and place dates on each. This way your large goal will not seem so daunting.

Let’s take your salon for example. Say you want to bring in a program to help create efficiencies in your salon, such as tracking hair color usage. To achieve this, you would want to have a start date to begin training, but then to fully implement the program.

For example, “On Jan 15 start training with my team to implement a new software to help track the cost of hair color used in the salon. After 2 weeks of training and practicing with the software we will fully implement the software in our day-to-day routines. I will create a buddy system where senior and younger staff can learn the new software together. I will know I have met my goal when myself and my team are confidently using the software and are able to track the cost of hair color.”

2. Anticipate Problems

When creating goals it is silly to assume that everything will go perfectly. It is inevitable that problems will arise, which is okay! How to best prepare for them is to create a list of what problems may arise and how you can overcome them. This way when they start to creep up you will be able to combat them with no issues! An example of this is salons are busier during the holiday season, so having extra stock will be helpful!

3. Stay Positive

Sticking to goals can be challenging, but you are doing it to better yourself and that is something to be proud of! If you have a slip-up it’s okay, it happens, but that doesn’t mean you should give up entirely. Keep pushing towards your goals, focusing on the positives, and remember what your end goal is.

4. Tell Your Friends

Telling your friends is not only a great way to gain support on your goals, but they can also help you gain clarity on it. If you are struggling with your goal speaking out loud with someone you trust may help sharpen and clarify your end goal. Friends are also great for accountability! As soon as you tell someone your goal out loud, it becomes real. This way if you have any slip-ups your friends will be able to call you out and support you to get back on track. Who knows, maybe your friend will have the same goal as you and you will have someone to do it by your side.

5. Stick With It!

If you feel like quitting remember why you made this goal in the first place. Goal setting is an ongoing process that is a great way to start at the beginning of a new year but you don’t have to wait for a new year every time you want to set a goal, you can make multiple goals throughout the year. Make sure you value each goal high and it should be easy to stick to!

If your new year goals are to have more freedom and financial stability in your salon, book your free demo, and let us know how we can help you get there!

Good Luck 🙂