Adviser Frøydis has tips on how to formulate good and achievable goals for the new year.
Time for reflection
As a new year begins, it's a great opportunity to reflect on the year that has passed and the year to come. What has filled you with joy and gratitude in the past year? And what goals and ambitions do you have for the year ahead?
What do you want to do more of?
Many people set New Year's resolutions with things they want to change in their lives, but New Year's resolutions can lead to unnecessary stress and pressure, and have often proved not to last much longer than February for most people.
But have you considered that how you formulate your goals can have an impact on how you experience them and whether or not you succeed?
Research shows that it's better to focus on what you want to start doing rather than what you want to stop doing. Simply figure out what you want to do more of, or start doing, that is positively charged for you.
Micro actions build new habits
Instead of saying you're going to be on your phone less, your New Year's resolution could be to hang out with friends more. It's also a good idea not to go too hard; small simple steps can make a big difference. Micro actions and small adjustments can help build new habits and help you avoid failure.
One example is changing your goal from "I will become a better person" to something more achievable, such as "I will say hello, smile or say something positive to someone every day".
In addition, it's a good idea to make your goals as concrete as possible and create a plan for how you will achieve them. One way to do this is to formulate your New Year's resolutions as concrete actions.
An example is to rephrase the goal "to become healthier" to "I will go for a walk twice a week".
Everyday joy calendar
"The Everyday Happiness calendar" from the Council for Mental Health can be used to remind yourself to do good things for yourself.
The Norwegian Council for Mental Health is helping us get started with this lovely Everyday Joy calendar for January. The focus here is on creating good everyday lives that bring energy and joy. These are simple steps that help to strengthen our mental health and quality of life.
Get inspired, and feel free to create your own version that is manageble and fun for you!
Good luck!
Read more about setting goals alongside your studies.
Sources:
Frøydis Haukeland
Counsellor student relations, Bø
Frøydis works as a student relations adviser in the Health Promotion and Prevention department. She is present on Campus Bø and occasionally she also appears on Campus Rauland. Here she works to ensure that students have a good and meaningful student life.
Frøydis has a background as a nurse and has a master's degree in health promotion. She has worked in the municipality for many years, both as a nurse, supervisor and public health coordinator.
