With the start of the new year, many people feel ambitious and are empowered to set new goals for themselves. However, there are both benefits and drawbacks to the New Years Resolution craze that we often see on social media.

Pros of Goal Setting: 

1. Provides Direction and Purpose: setting goals can help you reflect on the year and prioritize aspects of your life where you are looking to make change. 
2. Increases Motivation: the start of the new year and setting new goals can help boost your drive and desire to remain disciplined. 
3. Encourages Accountability: Writing goals down or even sharing them with others or online is a great way to hold yourself accountable throughout the later months of the year. 
4. Promotes Personal Growth and Achievement: Pursuing new goals pushes us to step outside our comfort zone which often fosters the development of resilience and new skills as well as a sense of accomplishment. 

Cons of Goal Setting: 

1. Unrealistic Expectations: Many people get carried away in the new year and can be overly ambitious when setting their goals. This can lead to frustration, disappointment, and a loss of motivation. 
2. Pressure and Stress: Goals can generate additional pressure which often leads to stress and burnout. This is especially common in people who often struggle with perfectionism or comparison to others. 
3. Neglecting the Journey: Often, we can become overly result-driven and fail to recognize the small wins we make as well as the growth that we experience along the way. 
4. Temporary Motivation: The excitement that comes with the start of a new year can be very inspiring. However, without the correct system, habits, or support, this initial motivation may be short-lived and leave us feeling defeated after a few weeks or months. 

Tips for Setting Successful Goals: 

1. Set SMART Goals: SMART goals are goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Using this acronym when creating your goals can help set you up for success
2. Break Goals Down into Steps and Track Your Progress: Chunking your goals into smaller milestones is a great way to celebrate your smaller accomplishments as well as avoid feeling overwhelmed. 
3. Focus on Habits, Not Outcomes: Focusing on setting new routines for yourself that are feasible within your daily life, is a great way to make the process more sustainable. 

Remain Flexible: It is important to accept that life will often provide us with obstacles and that we can adjust our goals based on changes as well as to remain kind to ourselves in the process.