We often overestimate what we can do in a year and underestimate what we can do in three years. I have often encountered this phrase when reading up on goal-setting and I can attest that I have seen the truth of this.
When reviewing my goals, I tend to notice that when I create a new goal, the progress at the beginning is often very slow, then I gather momentum towards the following year or so. This is especially relevant where the goal requires me to form a new habit, such as leading an active lifestyle or planning my days well.
Resolutions and timing
I stopped setting New Year resolutions many years ago. Now I set goals on my birthday which, fortunately for me, falls towards the end of the first quarter of the year. There’s a reason this works better for me.
I find that in and around the holiday season, there is too much going on and we cannot control much of it – parties, get-togethers, festivities and reconnecting with our loved ones.
The goal-setting process for me requires introspection and the festive period does not lend itself to much of that. There is also the fact that we indulge more than any other time of the year. Diets go out of the window, workout schedules get disrupted and so on.
Therefore, if you have a resolution starting January 1, you start from a significantly disadvantaged position and it can be difficult to see progress, one of the reasons why people give up on building good habits.
Momentum
Think of the last time you decided to start building a habit. Because at the beginning you require consciousness to stick to it, it feels as if you are expending a lot of effort to even remember.
During the first few weeks or months, it is important to automate the process leading up to the habit as much as possible, by doing things such as setting alarms. In time, you notice that you automatically remember and it becomes almost second-nature.
As you remain consistent, the momentum increases, you spend less time thinking and more time executing the habit increasing your stick-ability power and encouraging you to keep making progress.
