The year 2019 has arrived! This is the most popular time of the year for people to start setting new goals and resolutions – but once this first month passes, the motivation begins to fade, now what?
It’s common to hear the phrase, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” Some people will describe their ideal fantasy of buying a home, losing weight, starting a business, getting promoted or buying a car, yet struggle for years to achieve it. To avoid potential feelings of disappointment and self-doubt, it’s important to take goal setting with a crawl, walk run approach.
When setting goals, look at it as a way of taking control of your life and creating a purpose. Hundreds of experiments have been performed and were all able to provide the same conclusion – that goal setting can significantly increase the success rate in any area of life it’s focused on – such as family, mental health, physical health, finances, business, etc.
Goal setting is essentially a skill. It’s common to feel motivated and inspired at the start of a new goal, but maintaining that level is the challenge. Goals are easy to make, but it’s also easy to become disconnected and lose track. Therefore, when setting your goals, the first and most important step is to write them down! Keeping your goals in a visible place is a great reminder to keep moving forward.
Once you have an ideal goal in mind, take it one step at a time. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself with the big picture. Any goal will take effort, so moving at a steady pace will help avoid falling off track. For example, if your goal is to lose 50 pounds, begin with a goal of losing just five. The associated diet and exercise for losing little weight is much less constricting than if you focus solely on the 50 pounds.
Another important step is to keep track of your progress. Keep reminding yourself you’re making moves and are further ahead than where you already were! This could be keeping a journal, recording particular statistics or for weight loss – taking photos. Any method you choose, all that matters is that you have some form of evidence about what you’ve already achieved.
Finally – look for support and encouragement! Staying on track with personal goals is difficult to accomplish alone. Whether it’s your team of co-workers, your significant other, friends or family – having that sense of positivity surrounding you can provide the uplifting energy you’d need should you hit a snag. You can also look for a group that shares your same goal. This can give you the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals and share advice and encouragement.
No matter what you have put in place for your future, nothing is impossible. Do you have goals put in place for 2019? How will you achieve them? We’d love to know your thoughts.
