The ongoing pandemic has, on a whole been a rather trying time for all, and after a rather tough start to 2020, Australians are probably wanting to restart the year. With many states still facing ongoing restrictions, now is a great time to rethink those resolutions you set at the start of the year.
In much the same way that every cloud has a silver lining, maybe this life-altering global pandemic has its own part that’s maybe not that terrible, when you take the time to think about it. As it has forced a lot of people to slowdown and also to pause and reflect.
The pandemic has been a time for people to reassess what their priorities are, to take stock of their mental wellbeing and to reconnect with hobbies. How many people have you seen social media accounts starting their days with a neighbourhood walk or baking bread?
As many states around Australia are emerging from lockdown, there is a sense in the air, one that hasn’t been there for a while – optimism.
Now is the perfect time to reassess what is important in your lives, and to reflect on what you would like to continue doing as a new normal way of living returns.
Many of us make new year’s resolutions or set goals for the year ahead… so now is the perfect time to re-evaluate these goals and maybe set new ones.
Remember; it’s important to take your time to really think about what you want to get out of the next few months; whilst also remembering to continue social distancing and good hand hygiene measures.
Setting goals
It’s important to organise your flow of ideas, otherwise you may feel overwhelmed or confused about what you actually want to achieve.
It’s a good idea to have a mix of goals that cover both personal and professional goals, for example; have you used this last few months to upskill? Well then one goal could be to look for some work that you can put these skills into practice or looking at volunteering to give back to your community.
When setting goals, one useful template to use is the SMART technique. This stands for:
- Specific: Why do you want to accomplish the goal? Have you avoided generalities?
- Measurable: What will be the significant outcome of completing the goal? How will you measure it and with what tool?
- Achievable: Do you have the right skills and resources to complete the goal? Is it more relevant to break the goal into more actionable mini-goals?
- Relevant: What will be the benefit of achieving the goal? Does its result lead to a larger goal?
- Timed: How long will it take you to achieve? Is the completion date within your means and can you foresee how much time will be needed?