2020 - it's not a new year, it's a new decade! So let's start it off right. With good intentions.
I don't think I've ever made it to the end of January before, often without even realising it, I’ve completely given up on my New Year's Resolutions and slipped back into the old habits I was trying to change. Personally, I believe we can start New Year's Resolutions any time, there is no wrong time after all to start bettering ourselves. But, there is something powerful about setting new intentions in January - new year, new start. We have the post Christmas lull to reflect on the previous year and then we can look forward, deciding which habits are worth carrying into the new year and which should be left behind.
This year though, instead of making New Years resolutions that can be a bit wishy washy in their clarity, I urge you to set some goals instead. Before thinking of your actual goal, though, first think about what it is you want to achieve - in one month, 6 months, a year. What’s your vision? Imagine it’s the end of 2020, how do you feel? Where are you? How do you look? Who is with you? What is happening in your life professionally? What do you love to do in your spare time? Be as clear and specific as you can - after all, this is your life and you have a year to achieve all this. Goals work with a clear target in place. When people make resolutions, it's so often something like, "I want to lose weight" or "I want to save money" but what does that mean. If you lose 1 pound, you've lost weight, right? When will you be happy? When you've lost 1 stone or 2? When you've saved £1,000 or £10,000? You need a clear target so you know when you've reached your goal and so you consistently have something to aim for. Goals need to be clear, achievable, measurable and actionable. So don't say, "I'll save £20,000 this year" if you know your current financial and work situation will not allow that. Inspirational speaker, Tony Robbins says, “Progress equals happiness,” and setting goals is what gets us there.
We can set short term goals and long term goals, what's important is that we know why we want to achieve them and we will know when we have achieved them. We can do this easily by taking each goal and making sure it fits the criteria of a SMART target.
S - Specific - be as detailed as you can be.
M - Measurable - you want to be able to track your progress and know you are getting closer to your goal, motivating you to keep going.
A - Achievable - you must know it is achievable, otherwise you risk getting disheartened and giving up.
R - Realistic - your goal needs to fit in with your current lifestyle, if you work 60 hours a week, you won't have as much time to focus on your goals as someone who works 40 hours a week, so make sure your goals match up to your reality. Your goals should definitely stretch you, but you should also be capable of realistically working towards achieving them.
T - Time Bound - every goal needs a timeline target, so write down when you will achieve them. Having a deadline will help you keep up the pace and give you something to work towards.
Working with a coach is a fantastic way to achieve your goals with good momentum. Having someone you are accountable to motivates you to complete the actions you committed to completing. When you have a week where you lose momentum, your coach will help you focus on what you did achieve, which is often more than you think and refocus you to get back on track. Focusing on the positives and keeping your vision in the forefront of your mind, your coach will be there every step of the way towards smashing your goals.
So this year, scrap those resolutions and give goal setting a try. Good luck!
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