From the counselor’s desk…..
Did you know that in any given year 40% of Americans will
make a New Year Resolution? Did you know
that 80% of those will fail in the first 30 days? Well, now that I’ve thoroughly discouraged
you, allow me to offer some tips for how to keep your resolutions and maybe
some fresh new ideas as well!
TIPS:
Use the S.M.A.R.T. acronym in setting your goals for 2019 –
Specific – Make your goal absolutely clear. Instead of a broad statement like “I will
save more money this year” try a specific number like “I will save $50 a
month.”
Measurable – Track your progress by keeping a log, a
journal, or notes on your phone. Doing
this reinforces good habits and offers an encouraging boost. It also may keep you accountable.
Relevant – Is this goal important to you or are you
doing it to please someone else? Is it
something you’d “like to do” or something you think you “should” do? Is the goal good for you? Is it healthy?
Time-bound – Do you have a realistic timeline? Break your goal down into smaller, achievable
steps and celebrate the little victories along the way!
Managing hurdles:
Allow for mistakes – they WILL happen. This doesn’t have to derail your entire goal
though! Refocus on the goal, not on the
mistake. Own it. Accept it. Move
forward.
Play the numbers game (the right way) – focus on the smaller
number. For example, if your goals is to
put $1000 into savings this year, instead of saying “ugh, I still have $900 to
save, it’s too much!!” focus instead on what you have accomplished – “I’ve
saved $100 this month!” Or if your goal
is to run a 5k, focus on how many miles you have achieved, not how far you have
to go. Instead of “ugh, I have 2 miles
left to go, it’s so far!” think of how far you’ve come – “I’ve gone a mile
already!”
Look for obstacles – what has caused you to slip-up
before? Unsupportive friends? Making the
goal too big? Getting sick? Injury?
Thinking of where you have derailed in the past can help you think of
alternative solutions to try this time around.
And that is the key – try, try again.
Find a partner – Accountability can help tremendously in
staying on track with your goals!
Find a
friend who shares your goal, maybe a support group in town, on campus or even
social media. Somewhere or someone with
whom you can share the ups and downs with, encourage each other and celebrate
with.
ALTERNATIVES:
Don’t want to make any resolutions? Why not ask yourself instead, “how do I want
to grow this year?” Or perhaps brainstorm on a Word of the Year
or Phrase of the Year instead. This word
or phrase can be a mantra that shapes and guides your choices for 2019. This broadens the horizon on what is possible
and doesn’t peg you into focusing on just one thing. Here are some examples to get you started:
Health ~ Happiness ~
Positivity ~ Strength ~ Faith ~ Courage ~ Fun ~ Adventure
Confidence ~ Generosity ~
Forgiveness ~ Independence ~ Family ~ Love
Check in with yourself throughout the year and ask: am I
living out my word this year? Are my
current actions in alignment for how I want to grow this year?
You can keep it simple by asking yourself, “what do I want
more of?” and “what do I want less of?” and build your yearly actions and
choices around that.
This would be a great thing to talk to your UAF counselor
about too so give us a call! We’d love
to hear what your goals are, be a sounding board throughout the year, and a
source of support. Honestly, I love the new year. It's always a chance for a clean slate, a fresh start, a time to focus on new ideas, learning new skills, bettering yourself, an opportunity to grow. It's full of excitement and possibility!
As a reminder, the UAF Student Health and Counseling Center
will be closed from noon on December 21st until 8am, January 7th. If you are in crisis and not able to reach
us, please call the main number at 474-7043 and follow the prompts to reach a
crisis line and speak to a licensed therapist.
We here at Student Health & Counseling want to wish each
of you a happy and healthy holiday season!
Take care of yourselves and each other.
See you next semester!
Sincerely,
Kiana M. Carr, LMFT
Student Health & Counseling
Whitakker Building, 1788 Yukon Drive
474-7043