The beginning of the new year brings hope and excitement. But it’s also a time to pause and reflect on the previous 12 months, to celebrate the high points and to make peace with the low points. Planning your goals for the coming year is also a good idea at this time.

In reality, even though making New Year’s resolutions is exciting at the beginning of the year, by February, this list often feels too difficult, or your schedule becomes too busy to accomplish it.

In this article, we present five ways to be more successful at achieving your goals.

1. Focus on smaller goals

One of the main reasons that people do not keep their New Year’s resolutions is because they are too vague or too big. It’s better to break your goals up into smaller, realistic objectives that will help you achieve the larger goal.

For example: If your goal is to “start a business” – change it to “interview someone who has already started a business.”

Having smaller goals is the key to achieving your big goals. Nothing builds momentum faster than getting a few wins under your belt.

2. Ask Self-reflective questions 

A New Year’s resolution is hard to keep if your heart isn’t in it. Make sure your actions align with your core values before you commit to making a change.

For example:

What are my values and do my current goals align with them?                                                           

What’s today’s number one action that will move me towards my 12 month goal?

‍3. Make it measurable

Making notes about your progress in a journal or in an app designed to track your behaviors can reinforce the progress, no matter what your resolution is.

4. Keep it time-bound

You should set a realistic timeline for reaching your goal. This means setting lots of smaller intermediate goals along the way and giving yourself enough time to do it. “Focus on these small wins so you can make gradual progress,” Charles Duhigg, author of “The Power of Habit”, said. “If you’re building a habit, you’re planning for the next decade, not the next couple of months.

5. Use the “SMART goal” model

SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely. Therefore, a SMART goal incorporates all of these criteria to help focus your efforts and increase the chances of achieving your goal.

This article is written by:

 

Hanna Bladin