We all have goals, plans, objectives and dreams. It doesn’t matter what they are or what we call them, goals exist to move us forward in our personal and professional lives.
According to research published by the University of Scranton, an estimated 45% of people set New Year’s Resolutions but only 8% achieve them. This is your year to turn these stats around. Whether your most important goals include a new career, a new home or even a new you, this is your year to make it happen. Here’s how.
Make Them Attainable. Tackle your year (and goals) at your own pace. Don’t feel pressured to make too many demands on your time, especially by setting numerous resolutions that you want to achieve right away. Typically the first quarter of the year is busy and big goals may get lost with day-to-day demands. Talk with others about their expectations of you so that you can plan accordingly and set attainable goals. Even with a plan, if the goal is too daunting, you may quit before you even get started. Experts cite that one of the common reasons people fail to meet their goals is that they can be psychologically overwhelming. Avoid too big of a goal that may be unrealistic with your current resources of time and energy. Instead, break your goal down into several small goals for each quarter, month, week or day. Once you start seeing action on your smaller goals you’ll be that much closer to achieving your end result.
Make Them Matter. Scarlet O’Hara’s “Tomorrow is another day” gives us literary license to procrastinate. After all, there’s always a “tomorrow” to get things done. But tomorrows can add up pretty fast.Procrastination
tends to creep in whenever something doesn’t seem that exciting, so make your goals count. Take time to reflect on what matters most to you and visualize what it will feel like when you’ve achieved it. One of the best ways to avoid procrastination is to partner with a friend and hold each other accountable for achieving what matters most to both of you.
Make Them Yours. At work, home and play, we adapt our goals to other’s needs or accept goals that others want for us. This is the year to take back your goals and put your own personal and professional plans into action. Sure, purpose-filled goals can be scary, but working toward them pushes us to be even greater. Eleanor Roosevelt believed that true growth comes when we do something everyday that scares us. This is the year to make it happen, whatever “it” is for you and no matter how scary it may seem. With baby steps, you can make great leaps. Remember, any goal can be achieved when it’s attainable, it matters and it’s yours. It only needs YOU to make it happen!
I hope this article provided you with a few applicable ideas for success. I would be honored if you shared this on social media. And speaking of sharing, please share your own ideas and experiences below. Together, we can build a happier career community.
Photo Source: Photodune