How to Achieve Your New Year's Goals by Smiling

It’s the end of January. Just a few weeks ago, the gym was packed full and the grocery store was out of kale. Now there's plenty of room for weighted lunges and you can again buy healthy food in bulk. Did you know more than 90% of people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions each year? Starting a goal can be easy, but getting to the finish can be a bit challenging.

Did you make a resolution this year? Hike RoxyAnn weekly? Read more? Drink less Dutch Bros? Perhaps it was as ambitious as flossing more often or brushing your teeth six times a day! Whatever the goal, motivation tends to peak early and slowly slide into oblivion.

Pick Happy Goals

Consistency eludes us because we expect perfection, especially in the age of social media. One little slip and suddenly our image of success, and the motivation to achieve it are lost. Falling short feels bad, but it doesn’t mean you’ve failed overall. Be patient with yourself when you mess up and concentrate on consistency. Invite friends to join you and share your progress with family.

Remember: Goals should make you happier! Pick goals that bring you joy! Working toward a goal you don’t care about is a miserable (and doomed) endeavor.

The SMILE Tool

Have you heard of the well-established SMART tool that can help you plan and achieve your goals? Well, here at Modern Dental Care Medford Oregon we like to make SMILE goals.

S - Specific

   What exactly brings you joy? The more specific the goal, the easier it will be to achieve!

M - Measurable

   Is your goal a biggie? Break it up into bite-sized, measurable pieces!

I - Imaginable

    Is your goal attainable? Can you picture yourself all smiles once you’ve achieved it?

L - Logical

   Will your goal make life better for you/your family? Why do you want to reach this goal?

E - End-point

   When do you want to start smiling? Keep your goal timeline realistic and flexible.

Using this SMILE method will help you re-evaluate your 2019 goals and resolutions. This way your goals will have you smiling more often! If you get discouraged, just squeeze out a big drop of encourage-MINT toothpaste and brush away your self-doubt!

From all of us at Modern Dental Care, you’ve got this! You can do it!