Happy New Year!
There are two things I do the first week of a new year. Reflection and looking forward.
One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is simply not reflecting.
How are we supposed to meet our desired goals if we just operate without knowledge or understanding of the activities helping or hindering us?
Too many people are so focused on setting goals. Reflecting on a goal is looking at reality.
Here are four great questions you can ask to make a massive difference this year.
- What are you tolerating in your life that you know you shouldn’t be tolerating, and why are you still allowing it?
- What do you want to do in your life that you are putting off, and why are you putting it off?
- Who do you need to forgive, and what do you need to forgive them for so you can move on? (Forgiving yourself can be an option.)
- Why haven’t you gotten [insert result] yet in your life? What’s stopping you from your own success?
Answer these questions and reflect on them. See what comes out. Don’t rush it; just reflect. There is no right or wrong answer.
The second thing I do is about looking forward.
Now that you know what works for you and what hasn’t … you have a clean slate to design the new year the way you want it.
The new year is simply a start date and a great reminder, that you can always start anew or recommit or commit to the same or new things.
Working out what you want to do or not do for this year is great – BUT unless you attach an action to it, it is very likely that you will not achieve it. Whatever the action you choose, make sure it is achievable. E.g., which is more likely to happen; exercising three times per week or exercising five times per week (especially if you barely do one time per week at present)?
Usually, people will over commit to several goals at once and not achieve any of them. Commit to one thing and do it for thirty days and then evaluate if it needs to be adjusted; adjust it and then add another goal and repeat the cycle.
If you make the goal too hard, you will just give up and probably use it as another reason why you rarely achieve what you want to do or proof you are a failure.
What would happen if this year you achieved what you set out to do? How motivating would that be?
Give it try and let me know how you got on!
