STRENGTH & FOCUS: 5 tips to set and accomplish your New Year’s resolution in 2016
Congratulations on making it through another year! You’re a little bit older, more experienced, and hopefully wiser in all areas of your life. As the holiday festivities begin to settle, perhaps you’ll use the next few days as an opportunity to reflect on your goals for the New Year.
You do have goals for the New Year, don’t you?
If you’re like most people, I’m sure 2015 had its fair share of ups and downs, but with each new year comes the opportunity to create a new you, so why not start the year off with a mark in the “wins” column?
Today’s article will not only focus on setting your New Year’s Resolution, but how to develop a strategy for achieving it, so if you’re someone who frequently sets goals but has difficulty following through and accomplishing them, this feature is just for you. And guess what? The best part about the tips I’ll be sharing with you is that they don’t have an expiration date, so go ahead and use them throughout the year any time you want to set a new goal for yourself!
Tip No. 1 – Determine and set your goal.
Sounds easy enough, right? What is it that you want to achieve? If you don’t already know, then just ask yourself, “What do I want?” and write it down because it might need some tweaking.
To get the best results, make sure your aim fits the S.M.A.R.T. goal criteria, which we discussed a few weeks ago. This will help you establish a clear mental picture of what you want so that you’re moving towards something real and definite.
Tip No. 2 – Gain complete clarity on blocks and obstacles.
Essentially, what’s stopping you from having this right now? You need to be totally clear on the blocks, obstacles, and barriers (internal and external) that are standing in your way and stopping you from having this goal currently.
Remember, this is totally natural. I’m not suggesting that you should look for difficulty, but if you’re not experiencing any resistance, then you surely set the bar to low. If that’s the case, give yourself some credit and go bigger!
Tip No. 3 – Recognize key strengths.
Establish the tools and available resources that will help you overcome those previously mentioned blocks and obstacles in order to accomplish your goal.
Surprisingly, a big factor in most failures isn’t a lack of skill, but the inability to recognize and apply strengths and resources to push forward. Also, if you do lack a particular resource or need assistance, then reach out and ask for help.
Tip No. 4 – Develop your plan.
You need a plan. How else do you expect to achieve your goal? Be clear. Be specific. Hold yourself accountable. Calibrate if necessary. Do it until it’s done.
If you’re not sure how to develop a successful plan, then find someone who has done it before and find out how they did it. Ask them for their process and do it their way. Once you master this process, you’ll be able to refine their methods and create your own plan.
Tip No. 5 – Be your biggest supporter.
Give yourself daily encouragement to keep going forward. Acknowledge all the things that you’re doing well and be grateful for the small victories. Give yourself credit and allow these moments to accumulate. Over time, you’ll notice them begin to snowball into greater and more significant successes.
You can also create personal mantras and repeat daily affirmations to yourself. Autosuggestion is a powerful tool to reprogram your mindset to produce beneficial thoughts and behaviors.
For additional information, resources, or if you have a question, please reach out to me directly at rich@thepathofme.com.
Wishing you a great start and much success in 2016!
Until next time, thanks and be excellent!
