Happy New Year! Are you excited about 2022? Have you, or are you going to, set goals for the coming year? Or are you going to wait and see what 2022 brings?
Based on over 18 years successfully coaching clients to exceed their goals, my own view is that unless you want to end up somewhere you don’t want to be, or find yourself at the whim of others, it is imperative to think about what is important for you over the next twelve months.
However, one issue with this long-term planning is that setting goals this far in advance (or even just six months ahead) can be overwhelming for the brain. Therefore, I highly recommend breaking them down into more manageable chunks of time and only working on a maximum of three different targets at once. Less is more when it comes to focus and priorities.
Having a theme for the year can be helpful to guide decisions. Or you could endeavour to concentrate on one area of your life. Typically, January sees an uplift in actions on health, wealth, or careers and often people are motivated towards an increase in social and romantic relationships (especially for those who feel stuck and a bit bored). And of course, the ongoing pandemic is magnifying these areas, with holidays also being a high priority.
However, if we don’t reflect on our learning and examine our behaviour from last year, it is unlikely that we will achieve even our small ‘manageable’ goals. This becomes especially relevant for those big dreams that you have yet to accomplish (whether they are entirely new or reoccurring ambitions that keep being rolled over each year).
So, instead of setting huge year-long goals, think about the daily habits and behaviours that you will exhibit instead. Consider what a successful and happy week would look like for you. Decide what needs to be done each day to keep on track and on target. Achieving a goal comprises of lots of small actions that are taken to achieve it. A major reason for missing an objective is simply not disciplining the doing.
One of the key differences between those who achieve their goals and those who don’t is the ability to make sacrifices and measure progress on a daily and weekly basis. This is one habit that’s worth keeping.