Dear Reader: How can you stick the landing with your New Year’s resolutions?

Goal-setting is no stranger to this time of year, but what happens in February and beyond when the new year has faded?

If you’re among the many Americans who will make resolutions for the shiny new year, you’re not alone. According to Pew Research Center data from 2024, three out of 10 Americans reported having made at least one resolution. More than half of respondents said they made more than one.

The difference between making a broad intention and accomplishing it can be attributed to the execution by creating action-oriented, small, integral steps like revising your resume, setting up job alerts, reaching out to two people in your network on a weekly basis and more.

Sarah Glova, Ph.D., researcher, writer and keynote speaker, interviewed hundreds of people about how they’ve achieved really big things. She noticed a pattern based on getting specific, setting priorities and thinking about community.

In her TEDx Talk, “How to achieve your goals with a single page,” she said, “When do I want to do it by? What does working on it look like? Get really specific until this goal is just yours and it doesn’t take up much space. Interview yourself around this goal.”

Glova said your goal plan should fit onto one page. Focus on your goal — what is it? What’s your why? And don’t go around it. For instance, if you loathe your job and say you’re getting a new one, are you going after that job search? Or are you pursuing activities that, while helpful, are not getting to the heart of your goal?

When it comes to the people she interviews, Glova said, “Every time you talk to them, they say, ‘I’m tweaking my resume.’ You may ask if they applied anywhere; they may say they’re getting new headshots for their LinkedIn profile. Every time you talk to them, they’re spending their time setting those dominoes up just right. They’re in that planning phase. It’s safe and productive, but are they putting themselves out there for those really big actions?”

While you’re being clear and specific, in the middle of the page, jot down deadlines and milestones for “big things that move the needle.” It can be something as simple as writing “date — milestone” a few times. “When you keep moving, you’ll get further ahead,” said Glova, who noticed the people she interviewed got really good at keeping moving forward based on their priorities.

The third part of the page relies on community when you get stuck. “It’s not if you get stuck, it’s when you get stuck,” said Glova. “When you’re working on something really big, something you haven’t had before, you’re going to get stuck. It’s really important to think about the people who will help and support us.”

Tribune News Service