Forget New Year’s resolutions, you need intentions in 2022 – seven tips for setting short-term goals and achieving them

Resolutions can conjure feelings of good or bad and success or failure, therapists say; set intentions instead – they’re a more enjoyable way to create change

Give yourself short-term objectives that feel like they’re more doable and when you start to see progress, that will keep you motivated to continue, they say

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Wondering how to set realistic New Year’s resolutions and stick to them? Experts give their top tips on achieving your goals in 2022.

Published: 6:15pm, 27 Dec 2021Updated: 3:49pm, 31 Dec 2021

As the new year approaches, many set out to make New Year’s resolutions, but can hard-and-fast attempts to change behaviour do more harm than good?

While the start of a new year can be an opportunity to assess areas you want to improve, experts suggest you approach setting goals in a less pressured way, especially as uncertain times continue to make things tough on mental health.

Amy Morin, psychotherapist and editor-in-chief at VeryWell Mind, an online mental health portal, says many of her therapy clients feel the pressure to come up with a big change for the following year.

“Often they’re not mentally ready to make the change, but the calendar is about to flip over to the new year, so they feel like they have to do something.”

Approach your goals in a less pressured way and enjoy them. Photo: Shutterstock

Jenny Koning, a therapist with virtual primary care and mental health platform PlushCare in the United States, explains that if we don’t end up meeting or keeping up with that resolution we placed at the start of the year, more pressure can set in.