How to stick to your goals this year

The turn of a new year is a fresh start and it’s filled with wonder, hope and ambition.…

Introduction

The turn of a new year is a fresh start and it’s filled with wonder, hope and ambition. What does the year have in store for me? Will this be the year I make my break? Whatever you hope to get from this year, make it happen. Many of us have pipedreams that we long to achieve but never quite do. My challenge to you is, put in the work and achieve it in 2021! Whether it’s losing weight, starting a business or changing careers, you can 100% do it.

For many of us we need this fresh start after 2020 so remaining focused on your goals, whatever the year throws at you is so crucial. We need to be able to adapt our path to get to where we want to be.

New years resolutions notoriously only last about 6 weeks so in this blog I’ll give you some tips on how to stick to your goals and make 2021 your best year yet!

Write your goals down!

What an obvious place to start but so many of us never actually get our goals and ambitions for the year out of our head. So first task, take some time and write them down! But don’t stop there, write down the WHY. Why are these your ambitions for 2021? You must include the why, so later on in the year if you have a wobble you can remind yourself why you started out on this journey in the first place.

Once you have them written down on your new Christmas stationary or on your device, ensure they are visible to you every single day. Whether that is sticking them up in your bedroom or office or setting daily reminders on your device. Futureproof yourself and ensure you do not forget about these goals when work and daily life gets in the way. This your year remember!

Break them down into achievable chunks

If you have big ambitions for the year, that’s amazing so consider how you’ll make a start on achieving them. Sometimes big goals can be daunting because it’s difficult to know where to start. It can feel like we are trying to boil the ocean if we don’t have a plan so it’s important to break your goals down into achievable chunks.

Think of yourself as the project manager of your own life projects! You want to get from where you are now to where you want to be, so what steps do you need to take to get there? It’s a journey so enjoy it and adapt your path where you need to.

Adapt your plan along the way  

Your plan to achieve your goals is important but remember that you may need to adapt. Life throws all sorts of barriers, problems and setbacks our way but they are just an opportunity for you to learn and adapt. Yes they can be make us feel downhearted but pick yourself up and start problem solving. Your still on your journey, and there are lots of routes to your destination, so choose another route and bypass the obstacle.

Check out this Ted Talk by Raymond Tang on the Philosophy of Water and how it’s ability to adapt can teach us all about how to be more open to change.

Surround yourself with people you admire

On social media, follow positive people who have achieved what you want to achieve. Ensure your daily feed is full of inspiration and unfollow anyone who brings any negativity to your life. Daily reinforcement is so important for your mindset and morale when working towards your goals and seeing other people who have started where you are now and achieved what you want to achieve is an excellent motivator! Imagine yourself on the other side of this journey, inspiring other people with your success.  The same goes for your day-to-day life, having friends or colleagues who are negative or make you feel like you can’t achieve your goals can really hinder your mindset and confidence.  Always surround yourself with positivity, ambition and support.

Keep reminding yourself why you chose these goals  

When it gets tough and we feel like throwing in the towel, go back to task 1 and read your why. You had a personal reason why you set these goals for yourself so do not give up, just remind yourself why. It’s in these moments of turmoil when we feel like giving up that our growth mindset must prevail. This is what will set you apart this year from everyone else who probably have the same goals they chose the year before and the year before that and keep failing to see them through. See your goals through this year, achieve them, better yourself and move on next year to something bigger and better!

Finally, as someone said to me if you feel you have too much to do then just do something! When you feel overwhelmed with work, don’t sit and panic or make lists, just do a small task and that reduces your to-do list and gets your slightly closer to the end goal.

Remember, you are accountable to yourself so stop letting yourself down by not seeing your goals through. Sticking to goals can be tough and there is no easy route to success. It 100% relies on you and your mindset. You can achieve whatever you want to, so don’t self-sabotage this year. Stay on track and make this your year!  

Read my other blogs on developing a growth mindset, avoiding burnout and starting a new business. These blogs have some tips and guidance which can really help you on your journey this year!

If one of your goals is to grow your network, get a new job or find different opportunities then my new personal branding course may be for you! Find out more about personal branding here.

Thanks for reading and all the very best with your goals!

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