A Resolution-Free New Year for Caregivers
Do you make New Year’s resolutions?
I don’t, and I am okay with that.
But, it’s “resolution season” again, and it becomes a top conversation with friends, family, and everyone online. Resolutions begin to drop off by 25% after one week, and 64% are sticking with their plan by the end of the first month. After six months, less than half are successful. (Discover Happy Habits, 11/13/21).
What are resolutions?
Resolutions can have many meanings depending on who you are and sometimes fall into the category of “self-care.”
Some caregivers consider the concept of self-care to be a burden, one more thing to do. I like staying broad in the definition because I know we need a concrete plan for our care. However, we also need freedom and flexibility to respond to nothing at other times.
As caregivers, it is essential to include time and energy for your personal goals and needs.
I want you to hear this now to prevent feelings of overwhelm and burnout if you’re new to caregiving. If you’ve been caregiving for some time or caregiving has ended, you know you can use more self-care and focus.
I recommend replacing resolutions with visions and intentions.
The visions and intentions that emerge from what you determine are valuable can translate into your goals.
Let’s explore this further.
What are visions?
Visions are aspirations. We “see” something in our mind’s eye or imagination and desire to create it for our lives.
It’s okay if you don’t have a clear picture at this point.
Instead, allow yourself to develop a vision of what you’d like to have happened in the next week, month, or three months.
Visualizing is an essential step because it brings in the power of the unconscious mind. It allows you to bring on board more of your capacity to bring your goals to life.
You can also tap into your imagination, wisdom, and experience when you visualize.
What is an intention?
An intention takes the vision a step further and creates actions that have a purpose.
For example, perhaps your vision includes having a free morning or afternoon to yourself at least once per week. Intention follows by creating actions steps, allowing you to step into that vision.
Intentions involve a goal and purpose and give life to the idea.
Is it enough to daydream or wish for your vision to come to life? Unfortunately, it’s not as likely to happen without some specific steps.
So let’s understand why we need to take it a step further.
Have you had a vision for your life or during caregiving and found it challenging to put into practice?
A Harvard Business Study (2014) discovered that 83% don’t have specific goals.
The study further found that 14% of those who create goals are ten times more successful with their plans.
Do you want to know what made greater success? When people wrote them down.
3% of those with written goals are three times more successful than the 14% with unwritten goals.
What does this tell us?
First, we are more likely to get what we need from our original vision and intentions by creating goals and writing them down. Those are good odds, and I want us to succeed in getting what we need to thrive in caregiving.
Now that we know that simply holding a vision in our mind’s eye isn’t quite enough, what is our next step? First, let’s take the vision and intention into a process for more clarity by looking at SMART goals.
What are SMART Goals?
Creating SMART goals is a 5-step process. The acronym SMART stands for:
Specific. The goal isn’t vague.
Measurable. The goal is detailed and is trackable.
Achievable. You’ve chosen something you believe you can do.
Relevant. The plan will have meaning and offers value to your life.
Time. You will determine when you will take action.
An example of a SMART goal is getting some exercise each week. Breaking it down, it looks like:
“I will go for a fifteen-minute walk on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this week. I have someone to help with my care recipient during this break. I have asked my friend to join me for socialization and accountability. I feel confident I can do this.“
Creating a specific goal that adds value to your life and is enjoyable increases the likelihood you will achieve it.
Writing it down also increases the chance for success.
Keeping track of your progress gives you feedback about how well it’s working or if the plan needs modifying.
No matter how small, celebrating your wins is also an important component.
How does flexibility come into play with vision, intention, and SMART goals?
If you’ve been in the caregiving world, you also know that flexibility is a component for helping things run smoothly. Your vision, intentions, and goals are all worthy, but you can find they need adjusting.
Relax any rigid thinking that tells you to give up or that you’ve failed.
You’re on your path, no one else’s. So you’ll know best what works for you.
You may have thought that the beginning of the year was an excellent time for making resolutions. Or, you’re not someone who enjoys that activity and avoids thinking about it. The good news is that there are many ways to approach supporting ourselves and our lives.
You can try this approach at any time of the year.
Visions, ideas, and intentions are a place to start. If you’ve imagined how you’d like things to look, what’s the vision you’ve conjured? Don’t write it off. Instead, let’s explore and experiment.
I also recommend keeping goals time-limited to see if they’re working for you. Consider creating a plan for one month, three months, or perhaps six months. The life of a caregiver is subject to change, so making it easy for yourself is okay.
In summary - resolutions, visions, intentions, goals, and flexibility
We know that many people will respond to the societal expectation of making a New Year’s resolution. Unfortunately, the data also shows us that sticking with those plans is challenging, and many will abandon their goal.
Identifying and writing down goals is a way to support our efforts and give us the success we desire. Creating the plans in a SMART way also increases the likelihood of choosing something meaningful and doable for you.
So, how does it feel to consider a vision and intention versus a resolution? Does one feel more natural or preferable to you? Are you surprised that writing them down can have such a big difference? I know it surprised me, and I’m writing mine down now.
Do you know where to begin, or feel overwhelmed by creating a plan or SMART goals?
If so, I am here and happy to help you. I love getting down to the core needs and goals and finding a way to enhance your life. So I’d love to hear from you and see how we can take those well-deserved visions and turn them into actions!
We all have unique needs, and they deserve filling. However, designing them to fit our circumstances takes thought, vision, and identifying what works for us.
We know some strategies get us on a path to success. Helping you on that path is part of the guidance I offer. Let me know what you need and book a free consultation with me through my website to create your vision for this year, this quarter or this month.
Caregiving can be a challenging time.
Grab my “Getting Your Docs In A Row” checklist to help you prepare to care.