 |
| Have you given up your new year's resolution yet? |
Step 1: Make time - if you are serious, you will TELL yourself, "I will make time for this" Any real goal you want, you need to admit to yourself, you need to make time for it.
Step 2: Do your research - we are so lucky to have such easy access to information today. You can see how others ran that marathon or took that trip to India or muddled their way to the perfect website. So research how others did it.
Step 3: Break down the larger goal to smaller manageable goals - I know you've heard this one before but let's face it, if you put on your to-do list, run a marathon, you're not going to do it tomorrow. And if you see it on your to-do list day in and day out, you're going to feel defeated. However, if you put on your to-do list, complete Week 1, Day 1 of the couch to 5K running program, well then, that's doable.
Step 4. Plan out your year with the smaller goals - Although this will probably change throughout the year, it's a good idea to put it in now. Google calendars allow you to create separate calendars for different aspects of your life, so I have a calendar for each of my kids events but then I have a calendar for personal activities and one for fitness goals and now I will have one for 2014 Resolution goals. But you can go old school and use a paper and pencil calendar. I'd suggest using a pencil for later months.
Step 5: Each month, review and modify - My husband told me once when I was particularly distressed about making a decision, "We make the best decision based on the information we have." So you are making decisions as best you can now BUT expect changes, life happens and a year is a long time. Put an alarm and email alerts to remind you check on your resolution - remember make time for it.
Step 6: Each month after doing step 5, go back to step one
I hope to come back to this each month to inspire me and hopefully you too.
Do you have any tips to keep to your New Year's Resolution?
I'd never thought about using Google calendars that way. What a great tip! And your planning for changes is so right. They happen all the time, usually when you least expect them.
ReplyDeleteYes, it creates a less stressful environment.
DeleteAbsolutely love these tips. There is just something about pen and paper for goals that make them more real to me too. So, I try to put my goals up on a board where I see it every day and check in with those goals regularly. More recently I have noticed GOALS are big and scary to me. I was reading another leader's words about making a system to reach goals, everyday items to accomplish that lead to overall goals with the big "G" word hovering over me. Everytime I failed my goal, I got depressed and stopped doing those steps. If I just focus on steps, I will achieve results just as well without having the GOAL staring me in the face. Maybe this just me, but I get depressed with so many failures - others are bolstered by failure and use it as a challenge... I waiver if I've had a lot of failures and few successes..I start to give up. That's just my take on it though! I love the steps, process and outline you have given here..and the most important part - check back in with your goals and steps regularly! LOVE IT!
ReplyDeleteMary, perhaps the goals are too big at the moment - see if you can make them smaller. I recently did that. I had a list of things to accomplish and would roll over to the next week when I didn't accomplish it eventually the list got out of hand and I felt like giving up. Then something in my head click and said "you're making them too big" so I started over and made them really, really, tiny. I started to complete them. Huzzah! Remember most goals are things we never accomplished before so we are feeling in the dark - ya gotta make adjustments.
DeleteBreaking them down is so important. I find that when a task sits on my to-do list for a while it's because I haven't broken it down into small enough chunks. When I go back and do that, then suddenly, I start to take action. Good luck! With your attitude, I know you'll succeed.
ReplyDeleteagreed - I just learned that this past year. I admire your successes Juli, so I know I'm on the right track when you agree :)
DeleteGreat tips! I have not used Google Calendars before, but knowing you can break them down into different areas of your life makes it very appealing, especially because I have yet to buy a 2014 calendar!! I have been trying to break down larger goals into smaller ones, but don't always do it, so I appreciate the reminder! Good Luck with your resolutions!
ReplyDeleteOh YES, especially when your kids get older and you want to keep the calendars separate from yours. OH and they are color coded for each calendar!
DeleteThose steps sound exactly right. I think that's what business coaches regularly recommend. Figure out the steps you need to take to reach your big goal, set target dates, and regularly review your progress and if necessary update your plan. It sounds as 2014 may be an amazing year for you.
ReplyDeleteI agree, they are typical advice however, I wish someone gave me early on was if you are not completing those goals then you are making them too big.
DeleteMaking time, love that. We tend to put ourselves lasts as business owners and moms. I am impressed that you are not only planning on finishing one book but starting another. You are an inspiration.
ReplyDeleteLOL - they are not long books. 35-50K a piece, most publishers are looking for 85-100K but I'm self-publishing and integrating it into a bigger program.
Delete