YOU NEED 3 TIPS TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS IN 2021, BECAUSE new year, new life, right? The practice of making new year’s resolutions is a great one, it’s just that… let’s be honest, how many times do you actually achieve the goals you set on the last day of the year? Keep reading and I’ll make sure this year will be different.
Last year I my goals were to get my butt in shape, banish acne, and… well actually I can’t remember the rest. The acne is still there, but I did end up working out more than in 2019, so all in all it wasn’t that bad. Here’s a newsflash: we achieve goals every day, just sometimes they aren’t the ones that we intended! Going to the supermarket and coming back with 2 litres of milk is a goal achieved. In NLP (neuro-language programming) we look at the mess we’ve made and say, “Well that’s wonderful! What got you to this point?” It’s not about bashing yourself or giving up. Let’s just admit that we did everything we could. Then we create a new strategy, and start again.
But how to make sure we don’t run out of steam along the way?
I’m going to give you three fool proof techniques that’ll help you make 2021 the best so far:
Tip #1: Have a Vision
Why do we need a vision in the first place?
Well, if you don’t have one of your own, you’ll end up making somebody else’s come true. You’ll forever be a cog in the machine, and let others take important decisions for you. Connecting with the Vision is not always easy, as more often we know what we don’t want, and we rarely allow ourselves to dream because who needs dreamers? We’re proud to have our two feet firmly on the ground. I have clients who say, “I don’t even know where I’ll be in 6 months, how can I see myself in 5 years?!” Bad news, baby. If that’s you, I’m afraid you’re completely disconnected from the Universe/God/Divine Source Energy. I will probably write a post on how to (re)connect later down the line, but for now let’s just try: sit down and relax, play some chill out music (at 852 or 963 Hz if possible), breathe in and out – and just let yourself drift a little bit.
Then grab a pen and paper and write your goals for the next 3 years. Break them down to two years from now, and finally one year from now. You can even go more specific and set quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily goals. Be realistic, but dream big. I recommend using SMART goals and be careful in how you word them! Smart stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. Our wishes don’t come true because we wish poorly. We say things like “I want more money” – but how much?? I totally see the Universe looking at you and being like, “I made you find 5 dollars on the street, why are you not happy?!”
Using the SMART goals technique, the thought process should look something like this: “I want to save 2000 dollars by June 2021 (this means I need to make or save 333 dollars per month between now and June). Is this achievable? Yes. Is this realistic? Yes. Is timely? I’ve just set myself a deadline: June 2021.
Tip #2: Make a plan
Where are you now? I need to realistically assess my current situation. NO judgement. Then look at your Vision and ask yourself, what should I do to get there? Is there anything I should improve? If my goal is to get 500 subscribers on Instagram, is there anything I could do to improve my social media engagement? Learn to take better photos, get a better camera, or pay someone to do that? This bit is really fun and engaging.
Do you have habits that are sabotaging you? For example, if the goal is to lose 10 kg, the best plan is to eat more fruit and veg and exercise regularly. Are any of your habits undermining your Vision – like, are you used to ordering in food after work, or eating a litre of ice cream every Friday?
Do you have limiting beliefs? We have to be careful with what we tell ourselves. “The limits of my language are the limits of my world,” said Wittgenstein. Languge filters and alters the information we receive from the environment – our model of the world, together with what believe is true, is just a representation created by a system we call language. Sometimes it’s as simple as “I love food too much to be able to lose weight”, or “I’m a shopaholic, I’ll never be able to buy a house.” Unfortunately, I’m creating a reality that reflects that belief. It’s worth investigating why you believe that in the first place, but that’s another topic.
Next to your Vision, write down everything you think might stop you and make a POA on how to override them. If you love food too much to lose weight, and eat junk food four times a week, what’s the solution? Well, if you love food, you can love cabbage and broccoli and apples; the simplest thing is to add so many good things there’s no room for the bad ones!
Tip #3: Track your progress
Set up a journal or a habit tracker and reflect on your progress regularly. Remember, you are reaching your goals, just sometimes not in the ideal way. Tracking things serves a double purpose: first, it helps you reconnect with your Vision regularly (so you won’y drop it) and seeing progress, even minuscule, keeps the fire burning. Most businesses fail in the initial stages because they get abandoned too soon. Same with visions and goals: we give up too soon because we either disconnect, get side tracked, or just give up because we don’t get the results we wanted as soon as we wanted.
I would also recommend finding an accountability partner or somebody who will not only support you but also kick your a$$ when you’re beginning to sloth; to encourage you when you doubt yourself; to put you back on track when you’re feeling lost. It can be your partner, your friend, a family member or even someone you found through a Facebook group. Public accountability is also a great tool. Once you’ve shouted it from the rooftops, put it out on the social media and perhaps even started posting some pictures of your progress, it’ll be damn hard to give up!
So here we go: three tips on how to make your wishes come true. On how to create a Vision and stick to it. May 2021 be the best year ever!
WANT MORE?
Article: The Best Way To Create A Vision For The Life You Want by Royale Scuderi
Book: Creating Your Best Life: The Ultimate Life List Guide by Caroline Adams Miller
Watch on YouTube: Nate O’Brien How To Set And Achieve Goals