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Tips for Setting Healthy Goals in The New Year

Categories: Being a Caregiver, Living with Brain Injury

At the beginning of a new year, many of us spend time reflecting on the past and planning for the months ahead. What we don’t realize is that during the planning stage we often set unrealistic goals that create roadblocks in our daily lives rather than bridges to achieve what we have set out to do. After sustaining a brain injury or becoming a caregiver of someone living with brain injury, life might look different and your goals often shift.

When done in a realistic way, creating goals can be a good, productive exercise to set your intentions for the months and years ahead after brain injury. Deciding to make simple changes, like practicing self-care or incorporating affirmations into your day, is a first step to achieving your goals.

What is a realistic goal?

A realistic goal is one that is in reach. It has the potential to help you achieve a long-term change because it enables you to build momentum and motivation. Achieving small, digestible goals sets the tone for long-term goals as well as helps you feel good about your progress.

Tips For Setting Realistic Goals

  • Expect to fail.
  • Don’t give up.
  • Be patient and persistent.
  • Don’t compare your journey to others.

Below are a few tips to help you build momentum and support you in doing your best this year.

Be Kind To Yourself

Whether you are a brain injury survivor or caregiver of someone living with brain injury, putting yourself first starts with giving yourself grace. When you do this, you are giving yourself space, acceptance, and room to step back and reevaluate. When setting goals, do your best to make sure they allow for setbacks, mistakes, and adjustments along the way. Here are a few places to start:

  • Create goals that meet you where you are.
  • Ensure that your goals are small tasks that lead to achieving something bigger, rather than pushing yourself to achieve an unrealistic, major life change overnight.
  • Recognize the things you can’t control.
  • Be willing to adjust your goals when you find yourself overwhelmed.

Lose Your Expectations

Achieving your goals is not linear. Remember that “the road goes both ways.” Some days you will check off everything on your list and feel two steps ahead and the next day you may feel like you’ve taken three steps back. Here are a few things you can do to help take the pressure off:

  • Listen to your inner voice. This will help you recognize when you’re putting pressure on yourself. You can do this by paying attention to your emotions or taking a moment to pause and breathe.
  • Notice how the goals you have set for yourself make you feel. Being in tune with your emotions can help you recognize when something is adding unnecessary stress and expectations to your journey.
  • Question what you can do to take the pressure off yourself. This might look like taking a nap, putting the task at hand on pause, or reaching out to a friend or loved one for support.

Additional Resources

If you need personalized support or resources, contact BIAA’s National Brain Injury Information Center at 1-800-444-6443 or email us at info@biausa.org.