Happy New Year!

The theme at the beginning of every new year is that of resolutions. There are so many differing views and opinions when it comes to whether people make resolutions or not. I have made many new year resolutions in the past and most of the time did not keep them. I do set goals during the year and keep those, so why is it that I couldn’t keep to my resolutions? Maybe it was a psychological thing, where I didn’t resonate with the term. Now I use the word goals instead of resolutions. I like to start the new year setting goals because to me, I relate the new year to a clean slate, a good time to start fresh and start over. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the only time I set goals but setting them at the start of a new year has a different feel.

Here are seven steps that may help you in establishing your goals and making them part of your everyday life.

1. Look at the different areas of your life and choose up to five areas where you feel you would like to grow or develop. The areas are: financial, spiritual, relational, professional, physical, and emotional.

2. Create a goal for each of your choice areas.

3. List actionable items for each goal which can be measured.

4. Review the goals and identify any gaps that there might be that will prevent you from achieving the goal.

5. Seek out the resources needed to fill those gaps.

6. Create a vision board.

7. Give your goals attention by reviewing them. Celebrate the milestones no matter how big or small.

When choosing your goals, really reflect on the areas mentioned above and be clear about what you would like to achieve. Most of the time, goals fail because there is no clarity about what the end goal is, we can’t be wishy washy about what we are working towards. The goals that we create have to be realistic. If you don’t have a medical degree, you can’t become a doctor but if you want to become more spiritual, you can learn to meditate or join a yoga class. It is imperative that the action items be measurable. That’s the only way you will be able to tell if you are on the right track of fulfilling your goal and the only way you can measure the milestones that will get you there. Creating a vision board will give you that visual that you need to motivate you. When you see the actual goals in front of you, you will become excited and inspired to take the action steps necessary to work towards those goals.

Make sure you reflect on the wins and challenges for each action item pertaining to a particular goal. Make it a habit of planning out your days, weeks, and months. Keep a journal and a to-do list to help you along the way. I know it’s a cliché, but time does go by really fast. When we don’t have a system, time slips away without accomplishing what we wanted to accomplish.

Finally, celebrate each win and each milestone. Think ahead and plan out who you will share your accomplishments with and how will you acknowledge the progress that you’re making. Don’t be hard on yourself. Without failure, there is no growth. I’m going to say this again – without failure, there is no growth. Believe in yourself – you can do this!