As another year comes to an end, we find ourselves reflecting on what we have accomplished and how we can improve. The New Year provides ample opportunity for a fresh start, and we are poised and ready to take it.
While we might have good intentions, we frequently find ourselves getting lost in the sea of substance-less goals that seem to cycle back every year: lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier, read more. The list goes on and on.
Too often we let our ambition fizzle out after the first few months of the year. Luckily, these tips will help you fortify your goals so you can face the new year head on and conquer it every step of the way.
Start With a Word
It’s easy to get excited about the prospect of starting something new. As a result, the goals we set are typically sporadic and encompass too many aspects of our lives. When setting your goals this year, choose one word that you would like to amplify in your life. Use that word as a launch pad to curate a longer, more extensive list of goals. This method helps to keep you focused and centered as you move forward.
Goals Come in All Shapes and Sizes
It’s important to dream big! But it’s also important to dream medium and small. Set one overarching major goal. This should be what you would strive for if nothing stood in your way. While it’s exciting to push the limits of all you can do, something that big can easily feel impossible if left at face value. Work backwards from your big dream and think about the steps it would take to get there. Use those steps as a basis for your smaller goals.
Write Them Down
If you never move your goals from your head to paper, they’re very likely to simply remain as passing thoughts. It is imperative to physicalize your goals in some way. This can mean writing them down in a journal, posting them on sticky notes around your house, creating art about them or even simply typing them into your phone. Having a physical manifestation of your goals holds you more accountable and helps you remember them as the year goes on. It also allows you to reflect on your progress at the end of the year.
Define Your Why
You’re more likely to follow through on the goals you set when you understand why you set them in the first place. Do you want to find happiness? Improve yourself? Improve your relationships? Find success in your field? Take time to sit and reflect on the true reason you want to achieve the things you’ve set out to achieve. This “why” can help act as the driving force that will keep you reaching for them throughout the entire year.
