As 2024 comes to a close, you might reflect on the goals you set at the beginning of the year. Can you say they have all been accomplished, and you can cross them off your list? If the answer is no, Dr. Asim Shah, professor and executive vice chair in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Baylor College of Medicine, says don’t fret.
“You can refine, restart, reset or regroup at any time. This isn’t a failure. These are self-made goals, and you, yourself, can make them again,” he said.
If you didn’t meet your 2024 goals, reflect on the small wins you made throughout the year. Shah says to learn from your setbacks and try to assess what happened.
“Reflect on why the goal you set didn’t work. Don’t let these downfalls discourage you because they can guide you toward improvement,” said Shah.
People may not have met their goals because they might have had unrealistic expectations, or they didn’t track or analyze their progress. When reflecting, you can determine if you did not:
- Have the motivation to complete the goal
- Take the goal seriously
- Have the time to accomplish the goal
If thinking of refining and continuing a goal from 2024 into 2025 or setting a new one, make sure that it can be broken down into small steps, making it easier to achieve. Also, try setting short-term goals rather than long-term ones.
Good, realistic goals to set are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time – based
“Goals are not something written in stone,” Shah said. “Reassess them as you go.”
By Taylor Barnes
