New year, new me! At least that’s how the saying goes. But how do you become a new you? Sure, resolutions will help plan out and set some goals, but unless you’re the 9% of people that successfully keep it to the end of the year, resolutions won’t help much. Instead of focusing on a never-ending list of goals, it’s better to focus on the most specific, ambitious, and achievable. Although the list of goals will be shorter than a typical resolution, studies by American psychiatrist Edwin Locke have shown that setting these shorter goals have resulted in more successful self-improvement efforts. To promote this new sense of goal setting, January is officially known as “National Be On-Purpose Month,” a month to start off the year right by setting goals, putting good intentions first, and generally finding out a person’s purpose.

To start off this month, remember that setting shorter and more achievable goals that eventually conclude into a bigger goal is more achievable than setting a giant goal upfront. As an example, if one of your resolutions was to save money, putting “save money” as a goal is both vague and hard to achieve. Instead, break down this general goal into more specific ones. Instead of just saving money, set a goal of keeping a monthly budget of some amount, or monitor any unnecessary spending that will eventually add up. Setting more specific goals like these will help eliminate any uncertainty in setting the goal, and makes it more manageable to even execute them. Eventually, the smaller goals you set will accomplish the more general goal. Good job!

The other component of this month is to find your purpose. This is harder to put into words, as everyone has a different way to find their own purpose. A person’s purpose in life is both everchanging and hard to find. Here are some general guidelines to at least get you started. 

First off, most people’s purpose in life is related to what they’re passionate about. Find something you enjoy doing, and try to find a way to adopt it into your life more often. However, sometimes learning something new can eventually evolve into something you’ll be passionate about given some time. So, don’t be afraid to be more flexible with your extracurriculars, try and learn new things, or dedicate some time to a hobby you enjoy. 

So, there’s a new year for all of us! Try to pass this year being better off than the you of past years, as setting more manageable goals for yourself and finding a purpose will help you with self-improvement. Yes, it’ll be hard sticking to goals or learning new things, but at the end of the year, you’ll thank your past self for sticking to the principles of National Be On-Purpose Month. Good luck with 2023!

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