The new year always brings about a sense of excitement of what good can come into your life. For most, as soon as the new year bell rings it indicates an environment of renewal and the opportunity to start fresh. If you’re like me, you probably started the new year with a full list of things you’d like to achieve. Whether it’s starting a new hobby, getting fit, or becoming a master at a new skill.
When it come to achieving our goals, one aspect that is often the point of contention is the act of actually working towards sticking to them. This part of success is often the hardest for most to do throughout the year. I’ll share with you some tips on how to make this part of achieving success more manageable.
TIPS
So you want to have a successful year…
First, be honest with yourself and the goals that you’ve set. Are they specific enough? Are they actually achievable by you? Don’t generalize your goals; when identifying what you’d like to achieve, be detailed – this will help you better plan on how to achieve them. When you begin planning, take a moment to reflect on your daily habits and overall lifestyle first. Doing this will highlight where there may be gaps, or areas of concern for you to focus on when setting out to accomplish your goals.
Next, be kind to yourself and break down your goals into reasonable actionable tasks. Not everything can be done in one day. Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to do it all in a small amount of time. If that’s the route you take, you’re more likely than not leading yourself to burnout by trying to do it all. Take a moment to sit down and begin identifying small tasks that you can work on weekly that will all contribute to you achieving a goal you’ve set out for yourself. For example, if you are looking to lead a more healthy lifestyle and lose some weight the way in which you may break down your goals per week is by (1) Take the time to clean out your fridge and pantry of unhealthy food (2) Signing up for a gym membership (3) Cooking at least 4 meals per week etc.
So we’ve identified our detailed goals, and made some plans on how to achieve them. Remember when I mentioned that point of contention when achieving our goals – the part of sometimes being stuck towards putting action towards them? Well, that’s often referred to as procrastination. Most of us suffer from this, it may take a lot (both mentally and physically) to put action towards getting stuff done. One tip I can give you if you are ever faced with this is to consider the “two minute rule”. If it takes you less that 2-minutes to complete a task, then get up and get it done NOW! This thought and action pattern will change the game for you; you’ll start to find that you’ll be applying it to tasks that take longer than 2 minutes easily. It’ll help you to develop a habit of action.
Something that I strongly recommend when setting out for success is to have an accountability partner. Find yourself someone you trust to share information and updates to your path of successfully achieving your goals. Having someone to check-in with (it could be weekly, or monthly), is key to staying committed not only to yourself, but also to them as they are rooting for your success. If you can find someone who also shares some similar goals as you even better! Then you all can further hold each other accountable with detailed updates on your progress.
Lastly, this is a journey. Don’t forget to take the time to celebrate your wins, no matter how small they are. Take a moment to congratulate yourself on how hard you are working. This looks different for everyone. It can be as simple as treating yourself to a fancy coffee, to taking a day off to do nothing – or to do something that is fun, and relaxing. You are making progress, and that’s something to be proud of and celebrate. Don’t wait till the end to recognize your efforts.
I’m wishing you all the best, and much success in achieving what you want for the year!
