The last day of 2019 is upon us, which means the hope for new beginnings, new promises, and new resolutions for the New Year. For a lot of people, the end of a year means that there is hope on the horizon. An opportunity to reevaluate your goals and resolutions from last year, and set new ones for the next 365 days. Unfortunately, many of us have realized that our resolutions ended up being just words we muttered to ourselves in the shower on December 31. The past year has flown by, and we are still in the same place as we were during the last time we thought about this.
I can write you some cliche advice that you read every year at this time. “Set attainable goals.” “Review your goals daily.” “Break up your resolution into smaller, short term goals.” However, this is advice that most of you have probably heard thousands of times, but yet doesn’t seem to help. I understand this very well because I too have started the new year with lots of optimism in the past, just too fizzle out in time for the Super Bowl (for you nonsports fans, that is usually the first Sunday in February).
I want to give you three, real-world practical tips that will hopefully help you accomplish whatever you want to in 2020. They are not sexy, or easy- but they are simple. Simple in theory, difficult to consistently put into practice. If you are serious about accomplishing what you want to accomplish in 2020, make the mental shift right now that it’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to be worth it!
Tip #1: Understand Your “Why”
Although this may be the most difficult one to accomplish, it is definitely the most important. Understanding your why will set you up for success, regardless of what your goal is. Your “why” is what’s going to drive you through the difficult times, motivate you on the days you want to give up, and give you a clear path to success. It’s about going deeper into yourself, and understanding that there is more to your goal than what is on the surface. A good example is a weight loss goal. Many people have come to me and said, “I want to lose 20 pounds.” When I asked them why 20 pounds, they don’t have a great answer for me. It is usually something like, “Well, that’s what I was before I had my kids.” On the surface, we tell ourselves that we want to lose 20 pounds, but when you dig deeper you find that it’s not necessarily the number on the scale that matters, but the outcome of what that may represent in your life. Losing 20 pounds maybe what you feel is going to allow you to play with your kids more often, or keep you from getting diabetes as your mother did. Maybe 20 pounds is your interpretation of feeling confident in a bathing suit next summer. Regardless of what that goal represents for you, it is the “why” that actually matters. Dig deeper into the goal that you are setting for yourself, and when you find your “why” you will be able to have a clearer motivation to accomplish it.
Tip #2: Visualize the Outcome
Having a goal is great, but it doesn’t become real until you can see it and feel it. A goal without emotion, is just words that you are saying to make yourself feel good about having a goal. It has to mean something to you, and you have to have a clear vision of how it’s going to change your life. Visualizing the outcome of the goal will help you understand what your life will be like when you accomplish it. Your brain is the most powerful tool on this planet. If you can visualize it, more than likely you can accomplish it. Visualization isn’t just seeing what it will look like a year from now, but it is also seeing the steps and actions that it will take to get there. Seeing it as if you are visualizing it through a third party view, helps you see where you need to adjust, where you are going good, and where you need to completely pivot. If you can’t see it, and you can’t feel it, you can’t accomplish it. A great way to aid in this is to create a vision board. Using the example from above, if your goal is to lose 20 pounds (because your why is to be able to play with your kids), find a picture of yourself, or someone else who is at the ideal weight, and is playing with your kids. Hang it up in your bedroom, or tape it to your bathroom mirror, somewhere that you will be able to see daily and often. Every time you look at that picture, it will remind you what accomplishing your goal looks like.
Tip #3: Be Patient
This is by far the hardest one but is probably the most important. Most people give up on their goals way too early, because they lack the patience to see it through. Especially in the world we live in now with so much speed and instant gratification, it can be difficult to practice patience. However, it is crucial for building new habits and making progress. Our view on time is very skewed. Time feels like it flies in the grand scheme of things, like the fact that we are talking about ANOTHER year ending already. But, when we want something, we want it yesterday. Just imagine if the person who I spoke about above took the approach that it is going to take some time to lose 20 pounds, and on January 1, 2019, she told herself that she will work towards it, slow and steady, for the next year. Just imagine if she didn’t give up after three months because the weight wasn’t coming off fast enough, and every day she worked towards that goal of losing 20 pounds because she knew it was going to take time and be difficult. Just imagine if for all 52 weeks of 2019, she ate a little better and exercised a little more, instead of worrying about doing something extreme for two months, and then quitting. If you give yourself the time to accomplish something, you will accomplish it. It’s when you want to rush it when you get results that either won’t last or that you will give up too quickly.
Accomplishing your 2020 goals will not be easy, will not be quick, and will take a clear understanding of what you want to accomplish. That doesn’t mean it can’t change throughout the year, but it also means that you need to be ready to make a commitment to them. If you are not, that is completely cool too, you just need to be honest with yourself about it. If I can help you set goals, and accomplish those goals, schedule a quick 10-minute long Discovery Call with me by clicking this link here. Happy New Year!
