Prepping for Back to School/Work
Summer is coming to an end and vacation days are wrapping up. As the seasons change so do habits, goals, and schedules. Whether you are returning back to work, school, or getting the kids ready for the first day — scheduling and preparation are top of mind.
“When people want to change something in their lives, they often start at a temporal milestone, such as the beginning of a new semester” or a new year which is known as “the fresh-start effect” (Oscarsson et al., 2020). In many ways September mirrors a start of a new chapter, feeling refreshed from a little time off, the weather starting to cool, or ready to jump back into a routine.
When considering starting new habits it is good practice to start the brainstorming process and map out some goals for yourself. Goal creation can come in many forms and lengths. Having a variety of small or short-term goals that can lead up to a long-term goal or idea can be helpful. By utilizing smaller steps and goals a person can increase their success rate and self-confidence.
“Self-efficacy, or confidence in one’s ability to achieve a specific goal, also influences goal commitment” (Bailey, 2017). An interesting note to be aware of when defining the parameters of your goal is to think about how obtainable it is, and how difficult or easy will this task be. “Setting and achieving challenging goals can enhance self-efficacy, but repeated failure to achieve a goal can result in diminished self-efficacy, decreased satisfaction, and impaired future performance” (Bailey, 2017).
Starting out with a very simple easy goal is a great way to get the ball rolling. An example of this could be: you have a goal to bake bread, the first step or mini goal would be to find a recipe you like, then perhaps acquire all the ingredients. This may seem overly easy, but there are two successes right there and they may both take more time or effort than expected. “The optimal level of goal difficulty for any given individual will be influenced by goal commitment, motivation, and self-efficacy” (Bailey, 2017). Considering these influences can help give a realistic time frame or step-by-step process for what to expect.
Be Specific
Once you have an idea in mind, it’s time to get specific! Get as specific as possible with your goals and break them up into extremely manageable pieces. Some people find using a template can be very helpful. “The SMART criteria are a relatively well-known set of rules for goal specification, this acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timed, and it grew out of business/organizational culture” (Bailey, 2017).
Organization can be very beneficial for some people as it gets the ideas out of their heads and into a plan that can be chipped away over time. Using SMART planning is a wonderful tool for organizing different types of habits. By defining the specific goal, a person can then decide the steps to take.
When creating micro habits or small steps, think about if these steps relate back to the intended habit. Ask questions like: is this something that is realistic for me right now? How achievable or difficult will this be? Should I start with a smaller step or do I feel confident with this action? Once decided, find a way to track or measure your progress. An example of this may be once a week or once a day I will do XYZ. Add on a time frame to this step. I will do XYZ once a week for four weeks. “Action plans specify where, when, and how a goal will be implemented and help individuals plan the specific actions they will take to achieve their overarching goal” (Bailey, 2017).
Be Open Minded
When it is time to put a plan into action and try out some ideas, it’s good to keep an open mind. Taking a mindful approach to new habits can help bring awareness to noticing how it makes you feel. This can be a good indication of the level of difficulty or commitment one feels. Keeping an open mind to adjustments can continue motivation, anything a person tries out for the first time may need some tweaks along the way.
Self-compassion is one of the most necessary tools during habit creation. Self-compassion “can help reduce stress by minimizing rumination over the negative aspects of events… the components of self-compassion are posited to reduce stress by enhancing the self-regulation of negative emotions that can result from failures and unexpected events” (Neff et al., 2007a).
Changing the perception or mindset from ‘I did not succeed at this task and so it is a failure’ to ‘I learned where I can make a few adjustments and still feel good about my efforts’ can help keep motivation and positivity in mind. Each time a task or small goal is completed, taking time to celebrate and acknowledge your accomplishment regardless of the result helps to boost self-esteem, follow through, and skills that develop. Ralph Waldo Emerson was famously quoted saying “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey”. The journey is where the self-knowledge and solidifying of habits happens. The adjustments, the successes, and the breakthroughs will happen along the way. These things will lead you towards your goal but maintenance of what you learn will continue to sustain your goals and habits.
As you shift into the new season and set up for the next embarking portion of your journey, take a few tools along the way. Self-compassion, understanding, an open mind, and some helpful organizational tactics. This will make the ride a lot smoother as new habits or ideas come across your mind.
Overall Tips
- Utilize self-care and self-compassion techniques during new habits
- Brainstorm all aspects of what your ideas and goals are, and think about long-term and short-term parts specifically
- Using a way to organize small steps towards a new habit can be helpful and lower the stress around completing a goal. SMART goals can be helpful
- Don’t be afraid to make adjustments if something is feeling overwhelming or unattainable
- Always celebrate what went well! Even if adjusting the practicing of a habit, remember to acknowledge and celebrate what you accomplished
Overall, when creating habits there are a few tips and tricks that can help the process go a little smoother. Take some time to identify the main goal, then think about the micro steps it will take to get there. Using an organization guideline such as SMART goal creation can help to create a plan for action. Self-compassion, patience, and having an open mind during habit creation can take away some of the negative pressures and allow adjustments to feel more natural. Celebrate the small wins every time!
References
Bailey R. R. (2017). Goal Setting and Action Planning for Health Behavior Change. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 13(6), 615–618. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827617729634
Homan, K. J., & Sirois, F. M. (2017). Self-compassion and physical health: Exploring the roles of perceived stress and health-promoting behaviors. Health psychology open, 4(2), 2055102917729542. https://doi.org/10.1177/2055102917729542
Oscarsson, M., Carlbring, P., Andersson, G., & Rozental, A. (2020). A large-scale experiment on New Year’s resolutions: Approach-oriented goals are more successful than avoidance-oriented goals. PloS one, 15(12), e0234097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234097
