As the 31st of December creeps up on us once again, it offers an excellent opportunity to shackle ourselves to some goals for the year ahead. I’m sure that’s how most people see them too, a weight to which they are binding themselves, driving achievement through imagined force. I, however, am a very goal-oriented person, so NYE is kind of a golden date on my calendar. I love to plan, dream, and quantify my aims in some way. The truth is that a resolution shouldn’t be something you feel forced into, but something you want to become part of your life.
So how can you resolve in a positive way, and use this to make 2018 even better than any year that has gone before it?
Step 1: REFLECT.
What were some of your resolutions for 2017? What did you achieve? Remember to note the steps you made towards the goal even if you didn’t complete it. Write it all down – it’s great to have a visual representation of success. Then add in all the achievements that weren’t part of your resolutions, but that happened anyway. Feeling pretty good right now I hope?
Step 2: DREAM.
What would you actually do if there were no restrictions? How would your life look? What are some of the things that you want the most? Start jotting them down. You might call this a vision board, a visual representation of your ambitions.
Step 3: PLAN.
What do you need to do to get to those things? Think about the smaller stages that are needed to move forward and make notes about all that you would need if you were to achieve the goal.
Step 4: PRIORITIZE.
What needs to come first and what do you want to come first? If you could complete only one of your goals in 2018 which would it be?
Step 5. STRATEGIZE.
Now make a plan that clearly outlines all of the above in a logical step-by-step kind of way.
As you move through 2018 use these key tools to help you to stay on track:
- Display your ‘dream’ or vision board somewhere in your home so that you keep it close to the front of your mind.
- Track your progress regularly, perhaps once per month. Revisit the stages of jotting down progress and highlighting the next steps so that you can keep in mind where you are.
- Don’t be afraid to add, alter or amend any of the goals if your priorities or lifestyle change, these are your dreams, so you get to choose how they look.
- Praise your own success.
2018 could be the best year of your life. Put yourself first, dream big and see what you can achieve. Don’t feel bound by your own resolutions, instead see them as a source of inspiration and motivation to move forward.
Happy New Year!
Photo by Ariel Lustre on Unsplash
