Goals and buffers
Building buffers for your goals is a great way to increase the likelihood of actually achieving them, without getting discouraged by setbacks.
Instead of saying “I’ll do this everyday” and feeling bad when we inevitably slip up, we can give ourselves permission to miss a day and cut ourselves some slack. Then we can bounce back with enthusiasm tomorrow.
This approach keeps us focused on progress, rather than perfection, and increases our chances of sustained success.
Alas. Here’s a few ideas for building buffers into your own goals this year, inspired by some of my own.
Instead of committing to flossing everyday, you can commit to flossing every other day.
Instead of not eating sugar and flour for every meal of every day, you can allow ourselves a cheat treat once a week or two. You can also set boundaries around what types of treats you indulge in (for example, extra dark chocolate instead of chocolate cake.)
Instead of aiming for intense workouts every day, you can incorporate “active rest days.” For example, some days of the week could be reserved for stretching, yoga, or walking—giving you the flexibility to rest while staying active.
Instead of committing to always talking to a stranger when you’re out and about, you could commit to talking to one at least one a week. Or you could set a goal to strike up a conversation in every outing, with permission to skip it if your social battery is at 1%.
Instead of posting a blog every day, you could commit to posting once or twice a week to start—acknowledging that writing takes time, life gets busy, and creativity–like it or not–tends to ebb and flow.
[Hat tip to Marissa Shandell for the original idea.]