The beginning of the new year is happy and frustrating, depending on how successful the previous year was. If you failed to reach all or some of your most important goals, you might feel guilty about it. The new year is an excellent opportunity to change the situation and increase your chances of achieving success. Read on to find out how to follow through with your changes in 2021 and start a new decade with lots of motivation and inspiration in your mind.
1. Review your goals
If you already have a list of the 2021 goals, take a closer look at them. Are they attainable? What are the steps you should take in order to reach those goals? How many times have you tried to achieve those goals? Most people confess that they failed to achieve their goals because they were too unrealistic or they didn’t have a plan that could direct them in the right direction.
When you set a goal, you should think about your actions. Visualize the ways you’re going to achieve that goal. If the goal is too big and you feel confused when thinking about it, there’s a high chance that you’ll procrastinate and eventually fail to reach it. Visualization is the tool that will help you to follow through your changes in a new decade.
2. Set more attainable goals
Smaller goals are easier to reach and you’re less likely to procrastinate. It’s critical to understand that just because you set a goal, you’ll not reach it. You have to develop a plan of action and step by step instructions in how to achieve each goal. A big goal should be divided into a few smaller ones, for instance.
If you set one and the same goal each year and you can’t reach it, this means you’re doing something wrong. For example, you can’t earn your first million this year without an exact business plan. Setting such goals will only result in frustration and depression at the end of the year.
3. Craft specific goals
Again, it’s not enough to set a goal of earning a million. You should be more specific about it so that you could easily monitor your progress. For instance, if you set a goal to make more money, you’ll have trouble keeping track of your progress as you don’t have specific numbers. If, however, you set a goal to earn $2,000 weekly or monthly, it’ll be easier for you to monitor your income and find the ways to make those $2,000.
Successful people create charts and graphs to help them monitor and mark their successes throughout the year. You can keep one of these visual reminders nearby so that you could see and stay focused on your specific goal.
4. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable
When pursuing success, you shouldn’t expect everything to be pleasurable. However, keep in mind that the short-term discomfort is well worth it, as you can reach long-term success. If you need to fire one of your employees, you might feel scary at first. But, this will allow you to find a more experienced employee who might help you grow your business.
5. Share your goals publicly
While it’s not recommended to share your plans with others, it’s okay to let your family or friends know about your goals for the year. You can even set a deadline – especially if you’re prone to procrastination. You’ll feel embarrassed if you don’t achieve your goals. Plus, your family or friends can motivate you to perform better or take bold steps despite fears and doubts.
6. Keep reminding yourself of your goals
It doesn’t have to trigger panic attacks, but occasionally reminding yourself of your goals and their importance is essential. You can put some post-it notes on your bathroom mirror or monitor’s frame. When you feel unmotivated in the morning, remind yourself of all the drawbacks that you’ll experience if you don’t achieve your goal. Also, keep in mind all the perks your goal can bring into your life.
7. Celebrate even the tiniest wins
Be it one baby step taken today or one goal achieved in a month or so, make sure you celebrate this moment. Be proud of yourself and don’t fear the change. A lot of people feel scared when they begin to achieve success. It’s critical to follow through with your changes no matter how hard it is. Stay patient if that one step or goal doesn’t bring success. Oftentimes, a little goes a long way.
8. Smartly reward yourself
If your goal is to pay down debts or learn how to save more, consider rewarding yourself with a piece of cake or anything that you’ve wanted to buy for a long while. Be sure, this purchase won’t create new debts, though. If your goal is to grow your business, you can reward yourself with something more expensive.
Every time you achieve success – even if it’s not that big – it’s important to celebrate it and reward yourself with your favorite things. You can create a list of possible rewards that you will get each time you reach a new goal. This way, you’ll have something to look forward to and thus motivate you to work harder.
9. Try the thermometer game
If you have a goal or a task that you don’t want to tackle but have to, try playing the thermometer game. Divide your task or goal into milestones and put those on a thermometer. Every time you tackle a milestone, you might color in that thermometer’s part. You can use this game in the office to fight procrastination. After all, who doesn’t like to cross things off a to-do list?
Following through with your changes in 2021 might sound challenging. If you don’t take this challenge though, you won’t achieve success. As soon as you set your goals, think about the ways to reach them. Avoid setting too painful deadlines, but ensure you do have them.