1) Formalities Apply: By way of formally announcing or documenting your resolution, you’re already one step ahead of those who only have vague and undefined inclinations in terms of attempting to better themselves. Having a concrete goal and reaffirming it often, as though it’s a mantra, is one of the first steps towards making change.
2) Be Specific: Ambiguous goals are easier to put off than highly exact ones. If you want to lose weight – great – but don’t approach it that way. Get into the nitty gritty – figure out how much you want to lose on a weekly or monthly basis and you’ll have something specific to work off of. It generally makes objectives less overwhelming and helps to keep you on target by building in small goals to tackle along the way.
3) Have a Game Plan: Equally as important as setting up the goal itself is developing a method to help you conquer said goal. What steps will you take to accomplish what you’ve set out to do? How do you need to change your current practices to better align with the new habits you hope to form? Knowing these will give you the tools you need to reach your goals.
4) Log Progress: Get in the practice of writing down the small accomplishments you achieve along the way that contribute to the larger goal at hand. Having a record of what you’ve done is motivating, and knowing that you have to write down how you’re doing in the process is another way of keeping yourself on track.
5) Reward Yourself: Before you take on a goal, plan out a reward you’ll give yourself when you do achieve it. Having a system that recognizes the good work you’ve done will help you want to continue to succeed in your endeavors.
Before you lose optimism or forgo setting goals for the New Year altogether, draft out a plan that will help you achieve your objectives – for your professional and personal lives alike.
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