Help Yourself Find and Reach Goals

"...It pops when you point out that it's the perfect fresh start."

"The season -- Easter, Passover, Ramadan -- pick your renewal holiday."

"All of the religions have it pegged, but in regular life without religious prompting we can use it, too." 

Katy Milkman, professor, Wharton School

Oscar Wong -- Getty Images

 

The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania -- produced a study that shows what is called the 'fresh start effect' has a particular draw in spring. One experiment they conducted had subjects urged to save for retirement making use of different 'temporal landmarks'. They had the option of saving right then and now or to select a future date, like New Year's, a birthday or the first day of spring.

When several months elapsed, it was seen that people who focused on saving on their birthdays or at spring onset, had managed to save 20 to 30 percent more than the other selected groups. There is a fairly universal belief that the turn of a new year is the right time to decide to make changes in one's life, but some studies have clarified that New Year's resolutions have a tendency to fade; by April and May the resolutions draw little attention from those who claimed them.

New research suggests that it is spring, itself a time of global renewal and inspiration, that would represent the best time to turn one's mind to changes and goals. Sometimes stale old habits become more amenable to change and the adoption of new habits when the world itself is doing just that; having shed winter and welcomed spring with all its promises of new life, that particular natural event can act as a spur to action for people, as well.

Professor Milkman, the author of How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, subscribes to the theory that motivation can 'wax and wane', providing the reason why fresh beginnings pair well with a single action relating to an inner need to keep people committed to identifying and adapting themselves to new perspectives.

She suggests that spring is the optimum time to think about enrolling in a savings plan with automatic deductions; to sign up for a fitness class or gym membership. There are other recommendations she makes that could be useful to the individual looking for new meaning in their lives and how best to express and acknowledge that it's time to make a fresh start in motivating themselves to achieve satisfaction in life. For example; start small:

• Place a notebook on your night table, use it to write down your thoughts and concerns;
• Commit to scheduling a physical, mammogram or dental appointment;
• Plan a trip for a happiness boost through an interesting vacation;
• Organize passwords, begin using a financial planning app;
• Put together a home library of all the books you've ever meant to read and read them;
• Commit yourself to more home meal preparations using wholesome food
• Get invested in a good leisure exercise routine.

Invest in a little introspection. Identify what is important to you. Plan to pay attention to those elements that classify as meaningful in your life. If achievement is your goal, make certain you have planned in a way that will make it possible for you to reach your goals. Identify what you find pleasure in doing, and what gives you the most satisfaction in your working and leisure life.

• What do you really think of yourself and your method of living life to its fullest?
• Who or what matters most to you?
• What are your deepest-held values?
• How is success defined in  your mind?
• What makes your life worth living?

Carefully write down your answers and engage in some deep introspection on whether your goals are within reach. And be aware that goals and satisfaction in life at some points in your life may change and with that change your own direction in gaining the control you want to have of your life must adapt to alterations. Be honest with yourself, and be practical.

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