January is right around the corner and with that comes new ambitions and desires to finally achieve that goal we've been thinking about or to get back to something that we once obtained. It might even be something new or something that you've had on your bucket list for a while.
Maybe you want to be at a certain place in your career, maybe it's a goal weight, maybe you want to say that you did XYZ like jump out of an airplane.....whatever it may be, anything is possible with a plan.
When I first went into business for myself, it was a hobby for me. I liked earning the extra money on top of my full time salary. It gave us the extra that we needed to be able to do the things that were't otherwise possible or to take classes that helped me advance. But, life doesn't always go the way you want and the hobby I had, eventually needed to become full time source of income.
So, with some pretty BIG goals that I set for myself and a strong desire to accomplish them, I did a little research on how successful people lived and achieved their goals and this is what I learned and what I started to implement.
- Be clear: write out exactly what you want and what steps are needed to achieve said goal.
- Take action: things don’t have to be perfect to start and often you’ll learn best by doing, even if it’s baby steps and even if it ends up not being exactly what you need to do or goes wrong.
- It’s okay if it doesn’t go as planned: have a clear understanding of the time and commitment it is going to take to accomplish something and focus on the long–term. If it doesn't happen exactly when you thought it would be, know that sometimes things happen for a reason or you need to tweak as you go.
- Track your progress: focus on your daily steps to help you reach goal and track your progress to help keep you motivated. Habit trackers are great for holding you accountable.
- Be consistent: Just like learning cursive when we were kids, you have to practice each day. Consistency is key.
Using those 5 things from above, I was able to get to a full time income with my business.
Now let me show you how you can apply those steps above to a goal and how I used goal setting for weight loss a few years ago. This was the way that I wrote it out initially...
Arriving at my goal weight would allow me the flexibility and the freedom to feel better. Having already lost 20 pounds, I feel more confident, have more energy experience less pain and am shopping in smaller sizes. I know that by continuing on this journey and arriving at a healthy weight that it would make life even better for me.
To achieve this goal, I’ll need to workout 5 days per week minimally for 30 minutes each day. For my nutrition, I’ll be using a plan that focuses on proper portions and macronutrients. In addition, I’ll be checking in with my accountability group for support and encouragement. If I miss a workout or end up going off plan, I will give myself grace. This is not a quick fix but a lifestyle change. To track my progress, I’ll be using an app on my phone which records my activities so I can go back and review as necessary.
As you can see, that is how I wrote out that goal at the beginning of the year. If I needed to tweak it, I gave myself permission to do so. There were times for example, where a fitness program looked fun and promising but my body couldn't handle the impact of the workout because of my medical conditions. So, I had to tweak things and find activities that were better suited.
One thing to note is that the bigger the goal, the more steps you may need. If that's the case, there may be more planning required or you may want to work with a Coach. Having another set of eyes to steer and cheer you on can be an asset.
So in a nutshell, that's a simplified example on how to plan and reach your New Year's Resolution Goals.
What’s one of your goals for the New Year?
What action steps will you take to reach them?
I'd love to hear from you and learn about what's going on.
With Love,
Laura