We all have goals that we set every year!
And some are people dedicated and disciplined enough to allow them to succeed in their new year goals.
Then there’s another portion of the population that struggles to complete those goals they’ve set for the new year, oftentimes finding themselves backtracking on their original plans.
There are multiple reasons why these goals don’t work out.
Sometimes the barriers between us and completing our goals are within our control and sometimes they aren’t. Either way, it is up to the individual themself to set feasible and reasonable goals for themselves to start with.
After we may have been side-tracked from our new year’s goal, it might be a good idea to look at other previously unmet goals you've set and identifying what happened to derail them.
Maybe it’s a lack of discipline, poor shopping habits, financial complications, or a general distaste of “healthy” foods.
It’s best to familiarize yourself with your specific pitfalls so that you can find a way to avoid self-sabotaging behaviors moving forward.
Here are some effective ways to ensure greater success in accomplishing your new years goals:
Know Your ‘Why’
It is important to know the reason behind you wanting to accomplish this goal. You can reflect on what the motivation for the goal is and what will change once this goal is accomplished. A good tip is to try setting goals that will align with your core values.
Be Specific
Getting in shape and eating better are great ideas- but they aren’t specific or tangible plans of action. Get as specific as possible with a goal. Identify the result you want, how you intend to get that result, and then identify when you will do those things that contribute to the completion of your goal. Being specific and detail-oriented is essential to success.
Write It Down!
Get out your planners and journals. Find your white board and spreadsheets. It’s time to bring this goal to life by writing it down!
Optimize Your Environment
Set yourself up for success by creating the right atmosphere to accomplish your goals. This may mean changing who you spend time with, how you are spending your money, or what you will no longer allow in your home. Creating an environment that encourages the changes you want to make all the difference between success and that all too familiar line of “I guess there’s always next year.”
Be True To Yourself
Don't try to change every single thing about your life. Change takes time, hard work, and dedication. If you overwork yourself trying to change, you may find yourself wanting to give up quickly. It’s a good idea to identify what changes you want to make in your life and identify what gets top priority. That does not mean that those other goals cannot be accomplished this year, but accomplishing a goal and moving onto another can make a difference in having the patience and fortitude to carry on.
Be Kind To Yourself
It’s time to forgive yourself for not making your goals a reality before now. We’ve all let ourselves down at some point or another, and that can cause many of us to lose faith in ourselves and our abilities to change for the better. Be patient with yourself. Maya Angelou said it best, herself…
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."
I encourage you to have a little more grace with your past self, because that old you was operating the best they could with the information and feelings it had then.
The present you has new information and new motivation that your old self didn’t.
Let’s move on and focus on our present self and the improvements we want to make here and now.
Good Luck Everyone!