Happy New Year! This is a great time to reflect on how last year went and look forward to how we hope this year will go. When we clarify our goals it’s much easier to achieve them and work towards a positive “2022 Mindset Reset.” Not a fan of “new year’s resolutions” because they often become promises without an action plan. I appreciate practical ways to assist in clarifying our hopes and dreams or even create those small changes that will make 2022 as fabulous as possible!

How do we do a 2022 Mindset Reset? First, we start with self-reflection and goal setting to give us the needed awareness to know what we want, don’t
want, and discover the skills and actions we need to help us get there.

Goal Setting 101

Goals are “an aim or desired result.” and are important because they guide us in understanding ourselves better and know what needs to be done to get there. Goals may show us what we might need to learn and what we might need to do to get where we want to be and feel the best we can.

Five steps to setting goals and our 2022 Mindset Reset.

1. IDENTIFY the areas in your life that are important to you. Areas might include your relationship with your parents, school and homework, or your mental health. These areas don’t have to be “problem” areas, just parts of your life that are important. You will learn there might be changes to make or you may be reassured that keeping things the same is working well. Example: My Mental Health and feeling disappointed with friendships.
2. ASSESS where you are now. How are you doing and how are things going in that area? Example: My Mental Health is OK, but I do get down a lot. I have a few friends, but I can’t always talk to them. I want to feel more supported and happier.
3. IMAGINE where you would like to be and how you would like to experience this area. How would you like this circumstance or relationship to be? How would it look and be if it were better? Example: If I felt more supported, I would feel more comfortable talking to my friends.
4. TODAY what is one thing you can do to move yourself toward the Mindset Reset goal? Example: I will see the school counselor for a drop-in appointment or schedule a time to meet.
5. WHAT skills need to be learned or what action do you need to do to get there? Brainstorm time! Ideas should be:
○ Related to the goal – Will it help me improve this situation?
○ Respectful – Nobody gets hurt.
○ Reasonable – It is about improving the situation or experience directly, it’s great to make other parts of your life better and focus on the specific goal you set.
○ Helpful – Your ideas will assist you to move towards your Mindset Reset goals. Creative thinking works well but be sure you are realistic and kind to yourself and others. Example: If my mood gets low, I could talk to my school counselor, read a self-help book, or talk to my trusted adult. It could help to learn communication skills to how to reach out for help.

Remember you can reflect and grow any time of year…we call that “personal development” and the more we do it usually the happier we are. If we don’t like how things are going, changing something, even a minor change, can make a big difference.

Knowing yourself and moving through a Mental Health challenge can lead to personal growth and more happiness, but you need to take that first step. Seek out the support of a professional mental health provider, talk to a friend or your family. You got this, Girl!

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Rachel Rubenstein, LCSW is an Arizona based Mental Health provider and owner of The Counseling Consultants, PLLC, a group of licensed Mental Health professionals serving kids and adults with a variety of Mental Health Wellness needs.

This article was originally posted on IamTeenStrong.com