I have been keeping a journal and setting goals for well over twenty years. I have learned a lot about goal setting and accomplishing resolutions. I have discovered some really good methods and strategies for accomplishing goals, and I have also learned some things that will almost surely set you up for failure.

One of the worst resolutions you can make, I have discovered, is the “every-day” resolution. You know, when you commit that you are going to do something EVERY single day. I have tried this so many times and failed. I know very few people who have accomplished an EVERY day goal. The ones that have are certainly proud, but I question whether it was truly worth it or not.

EVERY day goals can create a lot of stress and pressure, but more importantly they can spoil the process of building good habits and ruin your chances for progress. Why? Well, once you miss, and it is likely you will, the miss will derail the entire goal and you will quit all together in frustration.

Quite often the negative feeling of missing, especially after a streak of awesome success, is so powerful it feels like a massive failure and people surrender. Rather than celebrating the 99 days of 100 we ate well, or ran, or wrote, or did some other amazing streak of awesomeness, we focus our attention on the ONE day we miss. The small miss or error looks bigger than the streak. Weird isn’t it?

I would be great if we could be consistent enough to succeed perfectly in doing the right thing EVERY day, but psychologically and more importantly for better results and mental wellness we should strive for ‘most’ or not missing two in a row, or building in a break or cheat day. By doing this, you will stay on track and get results.

So, by all means make resolutions and set goals, just don’t strive for daily perfection and end up derailing the improvement in your life you seek. Give yourself the grace to make adjustments and stay on track.

Here are seven things you should do instead:

• Set Goals.
• Don’t strive for Daily Perfection.
• Build in a Cheat Day or Off Day.
• Don’t miss two days in a row.
• Try to make the majority of days in a week, not all of them.
• Track your progress on a calendar, journal of spreadsheet.
• Stay positive and make it fun.

~Kelly

Kelly Croy is an author, speaker, and educator.  Send Kelly an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s  The Wired Educator Podcast with over 215 episodes. • Kelly has written two books, Along Came a Leader a book on personal and professional leadership, and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness . • Follow Kelly Croy on: Facebook. •  Twitter.  •  and Instagram