I hate new years resolutions. 

That’s right I said it. I absolutely do. Like let’s be real here, how many people actually keep their resolutions? Did you know that the second Friday in January is called “Quitters Day” because by that point in the year (two weeks into the year!!!!!) is when people give up on their resolutions. And according to Time Magazine, 80% of people will ditch their New Year’s resolution by February. In that same article, it was stated that only 8% of people actually keep their resolutions through the end of the year. Isn’t the wild? 

This week marks the first week of February, if Time Magazine is correct that means that only 20% of people are still working on their resolutions. This isn’t the way goal setting should be. 

I was talking to a friend about goals recently and she made a comment about goals being impossible. She was of the mind that goals are impossible and there is no point in evening setting them, like the point of setting goals was for them to fail. 

As an avid goal setter I was FLOORED. I am always setting goals, the bigger and more impossible the better. I am constantly setting goals and sharing goals and doing what I can to help others reach their goals. I love goals. 

My philosophy around goals mirrors a lot of what I have learned from Jai Long. Jai Long is an entrepreneur, business educator, and podcast host based in Australia. He has helped thousands of business owners reach their goals and bring their businesses beyond what they ever could have imagined. He teaches that goals should be unrealistic- in that that aren’t so far out there that you won’t hit them, but enough so that you have to work hard to meet them. If they are too easy, they aren’t goals, they are a checklist. If they are too hard, it makes it easier to give up. 

For my own goals list this year I choose a mix of easier checklist-like goals, and more daunting impossible seeming goals. I like to do a mix that way I have something to check off a list and give me a sense of accomplishment, but also some that force me to push myself beyond what I thought I was capable of (“like a shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still land on a star” type of philosophy).

Some of my own goals for the year include:

• Pay off my car
• Shooting a wedding in Colorado
• Get published in a wedding magazine.

Some of these goals are very attainable, like the shoot a wedding in Colorado since I am already actively photographing there. But something like, getting published will require more effort on my end in order to make it happen. One thing about goal setting that I always keep in mind is that they are MY GOALS. To some people they may seem too easy, to others they may seem too hard. As long as I am actively working towards something that will better my life that is my main priority. 

If you are reading this article and you have made it this far I am so proud of you. It is scary to set goals and make them known, it can be a very vulnerable thing. And maybe you are someone who had some amazing goals on December 31st, 2023, but haven’t thought about them since; it is not too late to start again, and you definitely do not have to wait until next year to set new goals. Try re-evaluating you goals and find a way to make them work with your current lifestyle, and then build them up from there. You got this! I believe in you! You are capable of more than you know!

If you are part of the 20% that is still keeping up your resolutions- you are crushing the game! Keep going for it! Maybe re-asses and see if there is a way for you to push yourself even further. Dream bigger my friend! You got this!

I hope this is encouraging for you and you feel inspired to go out there and set unrealistic goals for yourself. Goal setting doesn’t have to be scary or intense, it is just a way to get you from where you are to the life you want to have by changing what you have control over- your thoughts, behaviors, and habits. Just know that I have full faith and confidence in you, and I believe in you! You got this! Now go crush those goals