The new year has arrived and of course, most of us have some things that we want to change about ourselves. Setting a new years resolution is a great tradition around the world. But like most being able to follow through on your specific goals is sometimes a challenge.
Let’s see if I can make your goals stick and set you apart from the February crew that already lost all hope on their goals.
There is no secret to success or a special formula that will get you to achieve greatness. It all comes down to hard work and determination. If you want something bad enough you will find a way to get it.
In this article, I aim to share some simple ways that will help you keep your eyes on the prize and make sure 2019 is your year of achievement.
Meditation
Meditation is a practice for relieving stress and relaxing that can greatly increase your ability to concentrate and focus. In a world of multitasking being the standard and constant distractions by our side, it is almost a lost art of being able to focus on a single task until completion.
Through meditation, you practice how to focus on one thing and through that focus, you are able to let your other thoughts pass by.
The most common practice is to focus on your breathing. As you breathe it is expected that other thoughts will race through your mind and you will always come back to the breathing to focus.
Practicing a habit like this daily you could learn to be at ease with the present moment and not react emotionally to your thoughts. Those negative thoughts that once passed through your mind with a constant obsession will now be processed and let go with ease.
Learning a simple meditation routine could be the change that you need to bring into your life and regain the focus needed to succeed at your goals.
Look Back On The Past
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana
Taking a look at 2018 and going over what you have accomplished or what you let slide by is a great way to set your 2019 goals. It is to easy to forget the past year and come into the new year with the “New Year New Me” attitude.
Seriously, take out pen and paper right now, make a list of what you accomplished and what you should have accomplished in 2018. Then go through your list and ask yourself questions. Why did I accomplish this task and what made it successful? What stopped me from completing this goal and how can I fix this in 2019?
By simply identifying failures in 2018 and reflecting on certain areas you will be able to move forward without making the same mistakes twice.
This is a task that has to be completed with pen and paper. According to Dr. Gail Matthews research at Dominican University in California, a written goal is 42 percent more likely to happen.
Writing down our goals makes our internal wishes not just a thought but now a commitment that has sense and realism connected. By bringing them to writing, we have a commitment to them and want to make sure we do our best to complete the obligation. It gives us a sense of completion and achievement at the end of the day.
Use SMART Goals
The SMART acronym which is a guide to setting goals has dated back to 1981 by George T. Doran in November issue of Management. Although over the years everyone has revised and put their own twist on the meaning. The main concept still stands that your goals should be clear and reachable, each one should be:
- Specific (simple, sensible, significant).
- Measurable (meaningful, motivating).
- Achievable (agreed, attainable).
- Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).
- Time-bound ( time-based, time-limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive).
For more on how to create your SMART goals and an in-depth review of each letter visit here.
Can You See It Clearly
Being able to see your goals clearly and what you are working towards helps motivate you to complete your task. I find it really helpful to have some kind of visual reminder around. This is a way to constantly remind you of what the main goal is about and to keep on track.
I like to set my phone background to something I want and in my own head that triggers specific goals that I have to complete to arrive at what I want. Other ideas are physical boards that you can create know as vision boards and this helps reflect regularly on your goals.
Success doesn’t come easy but it comes for sure if you stick to your vision and work your ass off.
Remove Distractions
Once you become distracted it takes almost 5-15 minutes to fully get back into the productive flow again.
A great way to make sure this doesn’t happen is to identify the problem and remove it from the situation.
I know my number 1 distraction is my smartphone and I’m sure everyone reading this can relate. The simple answer to this is to put the phone away. Put it across the room on do not disturb and only allow yourself to check it on a scheduled break that you set for yourself.
You are working towards a goal and you don’t want anything to get in the way. The time lost with distractions adds up and by having a plan in place you will be able to avoid lost time. Getting the most out of your day is important because I know you probably have a crazy schedule and every second matters.
Remember Your Past Successes
“Failure is success if we learn from it.” – Malcolm Forbes
Learning from our mistakes is a sure fire way to grow into a person that we never dreamed imaginable. But we also want to remember the successes we had along the way to keep the motivation going. Nothing builds your spirit more than remembering when you accomplished a specific goal and what it took along the way to reach it.
A simple way to look back on your past successes is to create a success journal. If you ever catch yourself discouraged and reminding yourself what went wrong, remember all the huge successes that you have already achieved.
Pull out your journal, make sure you remind yourself of how awesome you are and how nothing can stop you when in full beast mode!
CALL TO ACTION
Have any tips on keeping on track with your new year’s goals? Or any goals in general? Comment below.
Don’t forget to share on social media below and with anyone you know who wants to succeed this year!
Also published on Medium.
