It’s a new year. Most of us are open to trying something new, making a change, or jumping on a resolution you know you need. Here are five tips to help you create the new you you’ve been waiting for. Don’t wait another year. Get started, now!
1. Write it down. Clear and reasonable goals are the first step to knowing what it is you want in what amount of time, and how you will achieve that goal. When you write your goal down, you are forced to articulate that goal with specific detail.
I find it very helpful to make mini-goals within goals which are time-limited. This helps you track your progress as well as see how close you are to achieving your ultimate goal, especially if your goal includes a long process or a significant lifestyle change.
2. Share it, and share it often. Remind yourself, your loved ones -even your pets! – that you are going to do what you say you are. By sharing your goals with others, you are more likely to follow through with real actions.
3. Ask for help. You don’t have to do it alone. Whether your goal is to learn how to make a budget and stick to it, to lose some excess weight, or change jobs, you can ask others who have done the same to give you some tips on how to follow in their footsteps. Why reinvent the wheel when you someone else has done the work for you?
4. Do a little research. When you study up on what lies ahead in the journey to achieve your goal, you can better anticipate the rewards and pitfalls along the way, and better manage the the potential for setbacks, discouragement, and self-doubt. Google, WikiAnswers, and community-based crowd sourcing communities can help you look at your goals from various angles before you plan your strategy of attack.
5. Build in a reward. People are similar to the beloved pets in our lives. There are many things we’ll do “just because”, but there are some things we do better with a little motivation. Over the years, I’ve seen people do everything from rewarding themselves with extra time to read a book, go out of town for a weekend, put money in a jar for every time they worked on a project, or even take a “kiss break” with their sweetheart.
After you’ve incorporated all five parts of your action plan, the next step is simply to DO IT. Work backwards from your time limit, and make as much headway as you can. Enjoy the process of the journey, and be sure to talk about it with others. It’s the memories you build along the way that form a mental pathway — literally, creating a new groove in your brain as well as your lifestyle.
Some of you reading this may have already tried these things, while scratching your head that you did not achieve the results you wanted. Coaching can often help you get “unstuck” or learn the skills to help you move ahead. Seattle Direct Counseling and Coaching offers coaching services focusing on motivation and “unstuckness” that may be the perfect thing for you. Call for your free 15 minute coaching sample.
