“Happy New Year!”These three words can spark both excitement and dread: hope for things to come and anxiety about keeping our New Year’s Resolutions. In fact, many are boycotting New Year’s Resolutions altogether this year because they are often empty promises we never keep to ourselves. We all have our own individual resolutions: exercise more, stop smoking, eat healthily, go back to school, get a new job, spend more time with family, etc. Most of us eat healthy for a couple of weeks; we work out every day, then once a week, then once a month; we make a date for a Family Game Night but never follow through. Life gets busy and time goes by and the resolutions fade away.

What if, instead, we had New Year Goals? A Resolution is defined as a firm decision to do or not to do something; the action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious matter. That is pretty rigid. A Goal is “the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.”A Goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based. Plus, we can adjust our goals throughout the year as we grow and learn. By definition alone, a GOAL is more inviting, more attainable, and easier to navigate than a resolution.

Achieving a goal is completely different from meeting a resolution. If you resolve to eat healthily and then have a bowl of ice cream, you have failed. But if you set a GOAL to eat healthier, every day you meet that challenge is a success. When you slip and have a bowl of ice cream, it is easier to get back on track. Additionally, a bowl of ice cream a week may fit into your "Eating Healthier" goal altogether, if you were previously eating a bowl each night. Your intention isn't ruined, you are still working towards your goal. Goals give us purpose and help us turn our aspirations into reality.