Every New Year’s Eve when the ball drops, billions of people celebrate an opportunity for a fresh start. Many of whom vowing to get to the gym, eat healthier food, be friendlier to strangers, or anything else they feel they may need to improve. Unfortunately, most of these resolutions fail by Valentine’s day, for no better reason than they didn’t have an effective plan. That’s what I want to share with you, a foolproof New Year’s Resolution plan.
1. Write down your single main goal
By writing down your goal, you make it real. As long as your goal is only in your head, you’re not obligated to achieve it. Once your goal is staring you in the face, it’s harder to avoid. Write down one goal and focus all of your energy toward that goal. When you have multiple aims, it dilutes your effort and diminishes your likelihood of success.
2. Write down why your goal is meaningful to you
Make sure it’s a goal you want, and not something other people tell you is important. If you are going to do something, do something meaningful. Going after a new year’s resolution is no easy task, that’s why so many resolutions fail. When you write down why your goal is meaningful to you, you know if you are telling the truth or lying to yourself.
3. Establish mini-goals
Having a single aim is important. Making sure that aim is meaningful is equally as important. The third step is aligning everything you have at that aim. Although you need one main goal, every aspect of your life should support that goal. This happens through mini-goals. Like any way of life, everything you do should steer you down that path. Your resolution is no different, every choice you make should steer you to your destination.
4. Build your team
Like a winning sports team, you need the support of teammates, coaches, and fans to achieve victory. Teams are how people get the support they need to make their goals a reality. By sharing your main goal and mini-goals with friends so they can keep you on track rather than derail you (they may invite you with them to the gym rather than out for a drink), it will keep you moving forward toward your goal. By having a coaching staff with experience in helping people reach goals, an eye can be kept out for distractions and tactics can be set in place to make your journey easier.
5. Track your progress
Success fuels success. When you see all your small accomplishments adding up, it will motivate you to keep going. People are drawn to and get better at activities when they see themselves improving. By keeping a journal of your progress, it adds extra motivation for those tough winter days when staying inside seems more enjoyable than the gym. Remember, it’s not the momentary comfort that matters, but the long-term satisfaction of reaching your goal.
Always improve,
Chris
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