It’s finally 2020 and most of us are optimistic about everything we want to achieve this year. It’s the perfect time to reflect on our previous year and wipe the slate clean for a fresh start. Unfortunately though, the stats are against us and show that most New Year’s resolutions will be broken in a matter of weeks before January ends. But if you plan ahead and design a realistic and strategic road map of your year, you will slay those goals! Keep on reading to learn how.
3 main reasons why New Year’s resolutions FAIL:
– They’re too big – We’re always ambitious with our goals in the beginning of the year and get disappointed when we have nothing to show at the end of the year. So make sure that your goals are manageable because if they’re too small, we lose interest and if they’re too big, we tend to get overwhelmed and give up so finding that sweet spot is key.
– They’re too vague – It’s important to be specific with your goals. Instead of saying you want to “Lose weight” or “Save money”. Be specific and identify how much $ you want to save and how much weight you want to lose. When you have goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound, you set yourself up for an easier path to success.
– We expect change NOW – As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day” so you shouldn’t expect change overnight. Change comes gradually when you’re consistent in your decision to achieve your goals no matter how much time or effort they require.
Planning is the key to success:
When we visualize our year and plan it out on paper, it starts to look more attainable and less farfetched. It’s so important to reflect and decide on what you truly want to accomplish in the new year, set goals and action items to support those goals and measure your progress in order to stay motivated and on track.
– Block off at least 1 or 2 full days on your calendar to sit down in a quiet space to plan your year.
– Start by reviewing the previous year
- What were my goals? Did I achieve them or make progress?
- What worked well last year? Identifying what worked well helps to double down on those actions.
- What can be improved? Assess the things that didn’t work as planned and identify ways to improve upon them.
– Set Goals for the New Year
- Write your list of goals (can be long or short)
- Zero in on your primary goals and break down the quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily action items to support each goal.
- Try to have just 3-5 primary goals. Any more and you’ll get overwhelmed with a high possibility of giving up.
Incentives for SUCCESS
– Make your goals specific and focused. The more focused, the better your odds of success. Ex. “This year I want to spend more time with my sisters”. Instead of leaving it at that, I can get more specific by blocking off 1 day each month to have a “sisters date” and send each of them a calendar invite so that they can hold me accountable and I’ll be less likely to bail on them or not follow through.
– Make your goals public – Put it all out there in the ether and share your goals with the people in your life so that they can hold you accountable. That way you’ll feel incentivized to stick with it and not give up.
– Get someone to hold you accountable – Have a friend, family member or colleague join you on working on your personal goals and projects. When you have someone there to keep you in check and go through the motions with you, it’s more difficult to slack. Accountability is that special sauce that determines success.
– Have very clear consequences for failure. Although failure is a consequence in itself, maybe restricting yourself from Sunday brunch or going out with friends is a consequence that you can set to keep you from straying.
I’m so excited to ring in this new decade and if you stick to these tips and tricks that I’ve outlined, it’s bound to be a successful and fulfilling 2020. Let me know in the comments if there are any tips that you live by that have worked for you in the past and also let me know your goals and resolutions for this year!
1 Comment
These are such great tips dear! I will have to apply a few of these. Found you on Lookbook and loved this outfit! Happy 2020!
xx Tamara Chloé
http://www.TcStyleClues.com