Planning for a Year of Achievement
As the excitement of starting a New Year fills the air, many are also filled with a sense of having a fresh start on setting goals and resolutions, if they haven’t already done so. It’s often said people spend more time planning a vacation than they do planning their life and career, which seems a bit cray to me. With a little planning and preparation, you can map out an exciting future. Then with hard work and determination, you can live a life that is fruitful and worthwhile.
More often than not, it seems people easily become frustrated with their goals and only end up keeping them for a few weeks or even days. To avoid early feelings of discouragement, start the process by focusing on the times you’ve been happiest, proudest of the things you’ve done, and the times you’ve been most fulfilled. Understanding yourself at your best rather than focusing on the “hot new thing to do” will create a more positive outcome.
Successful resolutions start with a strong commitment to make a change. The starting point is to focus on something that you really want and are ready to give your commitment to. If you do this you’ll be in a great position to stay motived. To succeed, you must believe that you can accomplish what you set out to achieve.
Imagery is a powerful technique to help you commit to your goals or resolutions. Try picturing yourself having attained your goal. Visualizing yourself in the position you desire can catapult your belief that you can do it and strengthen your motivation. Aim for something that is challenging but that you have a proper chance of accomplishing. You can always expand your goal later if you want to keep improving. Spend more time focusing on “how” you’re going to accomplish your goals, than on the “what.”
Here are a few more things you’ll want to do to set yourself up for success:
- Write your goals down: A simple but powerful technique for making your goals real is to put them in writing.
- Make a plan: Articulating what you want to achieve is one thing. Deciding how to do it is another.
- Be flexible: As your life changes so will your goals, dreams, and desires. If you need to make changes to the goal so you continue to care about it, do so.
- Use reminders: Be as creative as you can to keep being reminded and make sure your goals stay top of mind.
- Track your progress: You need to know when each milestone is accomplished and your excitement around the little successes will keep you motivated to keep pushing forward.
- Reward yourself: Even the most committed person needs a boost and reaching a goal takes hard work. Don’t be afraid to celebrate these achievements.
Doing all of this may seem a bit daunting, but it will help sharpen your focus and keep you organized. It will give you a starting point of brainstorming the paths you could take and will also help working toward your goals become a routine part of your life. I hope 2015, is a year full of abundance and achievement for all of you!
