There was a time in my life when every New Year’s Eve, I would set resolutions. They were mostly focused on my health: Lose weight, exercise more or change a bad habit.
Sound familiar?
The start of the New Year is a good time to think about what you want to accomplish in the coming months. Perhaps you have already committed to a New Year’s resolution, which is a good start.
What I realized is that my resolutions were focused more around what I should NOT be doing versus who I SHOULD strive to be. I usually found that by the second or third week of January, I had reverted back to my old habits and my resolutions were forgotten or at least ignored.
We don’t usually plan out how to sustain that resolution for a whole year. Perhaps that’s why only 8 percent of people who make a New Year’s resolution actually keep it.
I decided that I needed to get a system in place to assist me in developing my goals and keeping them in the forefront of my mind so that I can accomplish them. So, I found a system that appealed to me and determined that for one year I would stay committed to it.
Goals, not resolutions, are the key to long-term growth and success. And the secret to setting compelling goals is knowing why it is you want what you want – finding purpose and meaning in your goals.
It was an amazing process to go through the first time and a task I look forward to doing each year. The ability to sit back and ask yourself, in every aspect of your life, what you want to keep the same and what you wish to do differently is so freeing. To be able to put my goals down on paper and then have a system in place to keep them as a focus in my life on a regular basis is absolutely the key to success.
Key to achieving anything you want
One key to accomplishing anything is to decide to do it, and then to schedule it. You will not take action on an idea until you make it real by writing it down and putting it on your calendar. You will not change anything until you take action. Because we’re holistic people, ideas, plans and actions work together. A goal that is only written down is a resolution — an idea. An idea that is written and scheduled is a goal. Placing action steps onto your planner or diary will motivate you to move forward.
Another key creating compelling goals will help you stay motivated, even when times get tough. What resolutions are you considering? Whether it’s to grow professionally or get in a better state of health, you’ll have a hard time succeeding unless you create a truly compelling goal. And the secret to setting compelling goals is knowing why it is you want what you want – finding purpose and meaning in your goals.
Start now and keep going
Accomplishing goals and achieving purpose is done in a series of small steps. You can take the next small step. Step out in faith, with determination to keep going, one step at a time.
The more you take action on your goals, the more momentum you build, and your freelance road trip becomes exciting. You build competence and confidence with each accomplishment, no matter how small. Each step and goal achieved are mile markers on your road to achieving your ultimate purpose.
Your Action Step
Choose one goal, and schedule 1-3 small action steps you can take on it this week. This will get you moving forward. Schedule more steps for next week, and every week until you reach your goal.
There are many tips for keeping New Year’s resolutions, but the main one is this: Don’t simply tie goals to the new year because everyone else is doing it. Real change comes when you know your outcome and commit to making your goals a reality. Learning to set and achieve goals is a great habit that few truly master in their lifetimes. Get everything you want this year, and every year, by deciding to set and achieve goals that truly matter to you.
