By Oliver Clarke  It’s no secret that the vast majority of New Year’s Resolutions tend to fail. The trouble isn’t a lack of willpower, but a lack of goal-setting skills, and a tendency to choose what you think you “should” do, versus what is actually personally meaningful. This year, ...

By Oliver Clarke 

It’s no secret that the vast majority of New Year’s Resolutions tend to fail. The trouble isn’t a lack of willpower, but a lack of goal-setting skills, and a tendency to choose what you think you “should” do, versus what is actually personally meaningful. This year, let’s craft a plan to make 2018 happier and more fulfilling than previous years, and do so in a way that has the best possible chance of succeeding!
Maybe you’ve heard of SMART goals—your goal must be Specific (not vague), Measurable, Achievable, Relevant (to yourself and your life), and Time-bound. But that’s not all. To really set yourself up for success, you should also phrase it in a positive, rather than a restrictive way (“read more” is better than “stop wasting time”), schedule time for your goal, share your goals with others to form a support system, cultivate the mindset that something is always better than nothing, so do not get discouraged if you can only do a little some days, and most importantly, have patience and resiliency.

Alright, so how do we live a happier life in 2018? This is a very personal thing, as it should be! There is no one answer, and what is right for one person may not be right for you. That being said, here are some examples of happiness-themed New Year’s Resolutions: Face your fears and insecurities, learn how to control your emotions, pick up a new hobby, express yourself artistically, learn more, play more, be more grateful, learn to enjoy the little things, spend more time being active and in nature, bring more peace into your life, be kinder to yourself, create a positive attitude, strengthen your personal relationships, and volunteer.

Next, create a detailed plan of how you are going to accomplish this, being mindful of accountability. How will you track it? Personally, I’m a fan of journaling, but there are also plenty of apps out there to help you achieve goals and master new skills.
Happy New Year!