Living in a University town makes September feel more like the start of a new year than January. With the return of roughly 35,000 college students, the breath parents take as their kiddos resume a normal cadence after a chaotic summer, and the welcome tendrils of fall that start to creep in after a summer of extreme valley heat, it is a great time to take a pause and evaluate—what do I want from this new (academic) year?
Goal setting can be broken down into two questions: what do I want? and how do I get myself there?
It’s easy for people to stop the process right here because the idea of identifying what they want can feel so overwhelming in itself. If this is the case for you, consider starting at the end. Working backward often gives the most clarity about what the next step should be.
The concept of backward design, an approach to planning that starts with the end goal and then works backward, was introduced by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe in their book Understanding by Design.
When I start working with a new client I always ask them this question: “If we are wildly successful in our work together, how will you know?” Taking time to fully imagine an end goal is a powerful way to ground yourself in exactly what you are hoping for, and start to lay the groundwork to get there.
Ask yourself: what exactly do I want my life to look like in six months? What do I want to be feeling most days? What would my dream schedule look like? What do I want my day to day rhythms to be?
Once you identify these things, it’s time to figure out what strategies you need in place to get there.
An estimated 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail, according to U.S. News & World Report, mostly due to the lack of motivation required to keep up the different behaviors. The good news is that there is a formula that’s been developed to help us make these changes actually stick.
In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear outlines four simple ways to implement behavioral change: “make it obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying”.
If you can find a way to make your action items fall under these four categories, the changes will come with a sense of ease instead of resistance.
For example, if one of your goals is to have a strong friendship with your neighbors by the end of the year, consider implementing a monthly potluck. This is something that requires minimal effort, and would be fun and gratifying. If you do this consistently for six months, chances are you will have made those strong connections you dreamed of at the start.
We don’t have to wait until a specific date on the calendar (anniversary, birthday, January 1) to reflect on our evolution. Cheers to a great new journey, and welcome back Aggies!
