Happy New Year! What do you want to do with this year? How do you want to live your life so you can feel proud of who you are? What do you want for yourself in 2016? Setting specific goals with measurable steps is the way to set yourself up for success. Too many people set New Year’s Resolutions only to fall short of achieving them by February or March of the year. Oftentimes, it is because the goals are generic and there is no plan in place to achieve them.
So, if for example you want to achieve improved health; write down exactly what that would look like in your life. A specific plan such as going to the gym 3 days a week, eliminating sugar and meditating daily for five minutes is an example of creating a path to be able to achieve the goal. Furthermore, set a specific time frame upon which you would like to achieve your goal. Start with one goal at a time so you don’t overwhelm yourself. Without knowing the path to walk, the destination is usually not reached.
It is important to note that if you do set a goal with action steps and do not achieve the goal within a reasonable time, this is a sign that you may need to re-evaluate the goal. Maybe it isn’t realistic in the time frame you allotted? Maybe the action steps aren’t specific enough. Maybe you need more support around the goal from friends or family. Do not, however, beat yourself up emotionally for not achieving it, instead, be curious about why you didn’t and create a new plan that will allow you to do so; even if it takes two or twenty-two tries.
Here is a basic blueprint to follow to get you started:
By the end of this year, I would like to have accomplished _______________.
The best way for me to achieve this is_____________________.
The specific steps I need to take in order to achieve this are___________________________________________.
Why do I want to achieve this? __________________________.
The people in my life that can best help me reach this goal are_________________________________________________.
What will change in my life when I have achieved this is___________________________________________________.
Making changes are not easy tasks yet each year (and each month, week, day and even minute) gives us an opportunity for a fresh start. What are you going to do with yours?
Happy and a Healthy New Year to you and your family.