There is something refreshing about a new year. It is a time when we can reflect back on the previous year while looking forward to what we would like to accomplish in the year to come. Looking into a new year it is important to recognize and understand what you accomplished the year before and what you didn’t accomplish but would like to be better at accomplishing those goals this year. This is when you need to be fully realistic with yourself and look back on what you didn’t accomplish and why. Maybe you are okay with those goals slipping through your fingers or maybe you want to do better at crushing those goals this year. Whether you are looking to complete goals from last year or looking to add new goals to your plate, here are three ways to ensure that your goals will actually stick this year.
What is your ‘why’?
We brushed on this lightly already, but it is extremely important to choose the right goals. If your goals are unrealistic then how do you ever expect to achieve them? These goals from the past may have seemed realistic but in the end, you didn’t accomplish them and are left wondering why. Well, a big reason why a lot of people don’t accomplish their goals is that they have not defined their ‘why’. If you don’t know why you want to accomplish something then there isn’t a strong pull to keep you connected to your goal.
For example, you may have a goal to ‘Get Fitter’ this year. Getting more fit is a great goal but you need to understand your why behind it. Do you want to be more fit so that you can feel stronger? Do you want to be more fit so that you can keep up with your kids without running out of breath? Do you want to be more fit so that you can accomplish a race or a competition? Knowing your why will make your goals more accomplishable by tenfold.
Out of Sight Out of Mind
“Out of sight out of mind’ is a saying because it is true. If you don’t keep your goals visible then you are missing out on the daily reminders to keep up on accomplishing your goals. Even research shows that people who vividly describe or picture their goals are 1.4 times more likely to achieve them.
What keeping your goals visible looks like to you will depend on what works best for you. Some people like to create vision boards and keep them where they’ll see them every day, other people like to set them as their phone wallpaper or write them on a sticky note on their mirror. Whatever works for you, just make sure that they are visible enough to remind you every day.
10 Minutes a Day
If you’re someone who has many different goals on their list reaching all areas of their life you may find your list to be a bit overwhelming and just throw them out the window before March even hits. A way around this is to dedicate just 10 minutes per day to a task that moves you towards each of your goals. It isn’t about achieving your goals in one day. It is about holding yourself accountable and chipping away at it slowly that really adds up to something extraordinary.
