REACHING GOALS THE RIGHT WAY FROM LOSING WEIGHT TO EATING HEALTHIER, WITH THE NEW YEAR HERE, MOST OF US HAVE LISTED DOWN OUR SHORT-TERM AND LONGTERM GOALS, OFTEN NOT ACHIEVING THEM. YET DR. SALIHA AFRIDI, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST (DHA LICENSED) REVEALS THE RIGHT WAY TO ACHIEVE OUR RESOLUTIONS AND KEEP THEM FOR LIFE.
WHY WE SET GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR
There are several reasons for setting goals and resolutions at the beginning of the new year, tells Dr. Afridi. “One is we are culturally expected to make new year resolutions and also, it’s natural that with any new beginning you have the intention to want to do and be different,” she says. “However, we do not realize that some of the habits that we are trying to change are deeply rooted anxiety management behaviors/ systems and if we make goals (for example, to lose five kilos) without consideration of the underlying systems
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and without addressing the underlying causes of those behaviors, we will end up right where we started.” But good intentions and great goals are not enough to change behavior—we have to first understand what purpose the current behaviors are serving before we can make lasting change.
THE PROCESS
She advises to write short term/quick win goals, medium term goals, and long term goals for each area. “Do not ask others about what your goals should be,” she tells, and first, spend time with yourself and reflect on what gives you fulfillment and
