Forget Your New Year’s Resolution And Do This Instead

If you haven’t started to think about what your New Year’s Resolution will be, have no fear.  

To be completely honest, I think it’s time we ditch the resolution altogether and do this instead—set aspiring goals that help us feel inspired and motivated.

Aspiring goals long outlast resolutions.

Most of us know that by mid-February, the glamour of the ball drop, champagne, and glitz will be weeks behind us, and most likely, we’ll discover a resolution is hard to keep.

One particular study uncovered that only 19 % of people keep their resolutions, and most others were settled back in their old ways within just a few weeks.

Now you may be thinking, why? Why is it that we fail?

I think the answer is this.

Change is hard. Change can be so difficult that most people won’t.

Yet, I know that change is possible if we put our mind to it. We must be willing to peel ourselves away from our comfort zones, find motivation deep within, and make it happen.

I have used goal setting for years, and the practice has transformed my life, both personally and professionally.

Setting goals can alter our productivity, mindset, health, finances, and relationships.

Here are ten strategies to help you get started with your goals.

1. Create Habits That Will Support Your Goals

It may sound harsh, but you will not accomplish your goals unless you have the proper habits in place. For example, if you want to lose weight, you must be willing to move your body and give yourself the food and nutrition your body needs to reach that goal. Goals and habits go hand in hand.

Your goals will be much harder to achieve and sometimes impossible if you try and skip over the necessary habits that will help get you there.

If you need more support for habits, I wrote a blog about how you can change your habits here. It also includes a few book suggestions to help you understand habits more in-depth and how they can help you achieve significant success.

2. Learn To Enjoy The Process

Expect that things will not happen overnight. There will be plenty of times you will see little to no movement in your goals. Trust you are headed in the right direction and learn not to give up. Failure is to be expected. If you begin to struggle, learn to show up for yourself anyway. Consistency is key.

3. Don’t Settle For The Comfortable Choice

The hours outside of your 9-5 schedule are critical. It’s these unseen hours that can make all the difference in our lives. One typical go-to excuse is, “I don’t have time,” but if something were, in fact, important to you, you would schedule it and make it happen.

When it comes to your goals, you have to be willing to make the time. It doesn’t do you any favors to hit the couch every night and check out with social media or television.

While I am all for balancing business and pleasure, we can’t be afraid to go the extra mile. Discipline yourself by scheduling your goals on your calendar, setting phone reminders, and being intentional with your actions.

4. Get More Specific With Your Action Steps

The action plan you create for your goals is critical. Writing the goal down is only a small step to making the goal come to fruition. You will need to know how you will achieve your goal, and the more specific you can be, the better. Get fired up with a deliberate action plan. Think about the steps you will need to take to achieve your goal and then take massive action.

5. Take Time To Reflect and Celebrate

Each step you take brings you closer to accomplishing your bigger goal. Take time to acknowledge your accomplishments along the way. Doing so can give you the energy you’ll need to keep going. Celebrate those small wins; they are critical to your success.

6. Remember Why

Getting started with a new goal can be exciting and invigorating. However, after a few short months or even a few weeks, that new shiny goal can become dreadful and nagging. Once the excitement wears off, you have to attach yourself to why it’s essential to keep going. This moment is where the importance of your “why” comes into play.

Always remind yourself why you started your goal in the first place.

How will your life look different once you have accomplished your goals? Will it improve your health? Will it bring you closer to financial freedom? Envision what it will look like when you have reached your goal and carry that vision with you when you want to give up.

7. Emulate The People Who Have Achieved The Goal You Are Trying To Accomplish

Take some time to understand the process other people have used to accomplish the goal you have set for yourself. There is no need to make a goal harder to achieve if a formula already exists that will get you there. Look at the habits and routines of the people who have accomplished your goal. What is it they have done to be successful?

8. Find A Team, Friend, Or Partner To Hold You Accountable

Finding the strength to make our dreams and goals materialize can be draining. It’s a challenge to stay motivated all the time. For that reason, it’s the perfect motive why you shouldn’t go after your goals alone.

Find other people who share the same mindset and goals as you. This habit can help put your goals into overdrive and can add that extra spark when you feel like giving up. Together, we win.

9. Remember, These Are Your Goals

The journey with your goals is a personal venture. Goal setting is flexible. It’s You vs. You. While it may be challenging not to compare yourself to others who are a lot farther along, it isn’t a good idea to do so, as this will most likely only slow you down. It’s important not to lose sight that your biggest responsibility is showing up and being better than you were yesterday.

10. Know You Are Doing Better Than You Think You Are

No matter how little or how much you accomplish each day, remind yourself you are enough. When you face setbacks, placing shame on yourself is not doing you any favors. You are worthy of praise and recognition, so step back and do that for yourself from time to time.

Cheers to you having your best year yet.

I would love to hear one goal you have for yourself this year. Share with me in the comments below.

Looking for a little more inspiration? Grab my FREE mini ebook below and come be part of my community 🙂

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