Goals, objectives, aims, ambitions: the good resolutions for the new year are set. Are you ready to make great things happen? Because a rough idea of what you want to achieve is not enough to actually make your dreams reality. What you need is a generous dose of motivation as well as a good plan. Let us help you with that!
In our last article, we talked about how good resolutions for the new year can look like. However, having a rough idea in mind is only half the story. You need to know exactly what you are dealing with in order to find the right approach.
FAIR ENOUGH, BUT HOW?
Motivation and perseverance are the key in this case. Only if you are convinced of what you are doing and commit yourself fully to the task, you can actually make it happen. Hereafter, you can find 5 useful tools and things to take into account if you want to keep it up.
1) One thing at a time
I am sure you have found some nice ideas of what you would like to change and / or achieve in 2020. Maybe there is even a whole list of keywords regarding this year's hopes and dreams. It is however crucial to not expect too much of yourself right from the beginning! If there are too many construction sites at once, you are very likely to lose focus and not achieve anything at all in the end. This is why we would recommend to create a roadmap or another kind of list / plan to gain an overview and to be able to focus on one thing at a time. This may mean to choose your main goal first and put the others on hold for now. So instead of switching to a healthy diet and preparing for a marathon and learning a new language and looking for the perfect job at the same time, how about we start out with the athletic part and catch up with the rest as soon as we have this first thing under control?
2) Step by step
Sticking with the marathon example, I think we can agree that no one would start with 26 miles on the first day, especially if the running shoes have been resting in the very back of the shelf for quite some time. A reasonable way to begin this ambitious challenge would probably be to just take a little tour around the block to see how things are working out. If you keep your expectations intentionally low at the beginning, it will be even easier to see success and to steadily set the bar a little higher. The more concrete (and realistic!!) the formulation of your goal ("I want to run a marathon 10 months from now"), the easier to divide it into individual steps and subgoals ("3 miles at the end of the first month"), so that you know exactly what you have to do and can follow your progress along the way.
3) Find your "Why"
As important as the tangibility of your goal is to know the reason why exactly you are aiming for it. What makes you get going? What makes you keep moving? And what is the superordinate cause why you have picked this particular goal over all the others? Do you want to prepare for the marathon to keep your body in good shape? Do you want to impress your father or have a medal hanging above your desk? Do you want to become a therapist for the good reputation, the high income or to help people? Knowing your why will give you direction, it will help you make it through hard times and it will provide you with an enormous amount of motivation and unimagined powers when you need it the most. So try to find your ulterior motive, it will most definitely come in handy.
4) (Self-) Support
Next to the intrinsic motivation resulting from the definition of your personal why, there are also some things on the exterior that can be used to help you stay on track. First of all, prepare an environment that is beneficial for your goal attainment. If you want to eat healthier for instance, get rid of all the sweets and candies that are left in your flat, so that you can't be tempted.
Another part of extrinsic motivation is to find a mentor that accompanies and supports you on your journey. Ask your partner to go jogging with you every morning or set an obligatory meeting once a month with a good friend to talk about your progress regarding the novel that you want to write. This sort of "contract" and exchange with someone other than yourself pushes you to hang on and deliver actual results. It can also give you new ideas and perspective in case you get stuck.
5) Reward yourself
Do not forget that in the end, it does not really matter how long it takes to reach the goal or if you reach it at all. We should always keep in mind that "the journey itself is the greatest reward" and that we are the only ones putting pressure on ourselves. So don't wait until the medal is really hanging above your desk or until you have the certificate for the education program to become a therapist. Give yourself the recognition you deserve for trying it and working towards your final goal. If you have divided your aim in manageable steps, try to find an appropriate reward for each subgoal. This keeps your motivation on a high level and gives the whole story a pleasant flavor.