It is never too late to set goals. Ready to try something different?
Resolutions are easy to set in January, but have you revisited or updated your goals since then?
In January, we all are enthusiastically setting goals and dreaming of having a do-over or achieving our dreams in the new year. But all too often, as soon as life takes over, our goals are forgotten in that shiny new journal we bought.
It is nearly the end of the year already!
Have you checked off some of your goals for this year? Have you ever looked at your goals? Your dreams and goals should be visible to you every day, and if they are, they will keep you on track and inspire you to complete your goals.
It is never too late to set your business and personal goals, and it does not have to be done at the start of every year. Setting goals quarterly and revisiting your goals regularly is a good idea and keeps you more active and focused on achieving your objectives.
Start with the big picture in mind and work backward.
When you're trying to meet goals like weight loss, getting a new job, or just running a marathon, it's easy to get overwhelmed. That's why the most effective way to manage your life is to start with the big picture in mind and work backward.
Imagine your life one year from now: what does it look like? What does it feel like? How much money do you make? Where do you live? What kind of car do you drive? Where do you vacation every summer? What kind of job title do you have and what kind of company do you work for? Who are your friends and family members? Who do you hang out with on weekends and after work hours? If these questions sound familiar, then it's time for some serious goal-setting!
The Difference Between Goals and Systems.
We all have goals and dreams that we want to achieve, but only a few of us ever see these goals come to fruition. We don't achieve our goals because they remain in our minds as nothing more than ideas.
You need systems and daily habits to help you reach your goals.
A goal is a specific target you want to reach by a certain time. For example, “I want to lose 10 pounds by the end of December” or “I want to save $10,000 by the end of the year” are goals.
A system is what you put in place to make sure that you reach your goals. For example, “I will exercise every morning” or “I will save $1,000 per month” are systems that can help you reach your goals of losing weight or saving money.
Goals focus on the results while systems focus on the action you take every day to achieve your goals.
James Clear, in his blog post 'Forget about setting goals. Focus on this instead', makes a good point about goals. Goals are just ideas and dreams until they become part of our daily routine. Here are his thoughts:
- If you’re a coach, your goal is to win a championship. Your system is what your team does at practice each day.
- If you’re a writer, your goal is to write a book. Your system is the writing schedule that you follow each week.
- If you’re a runner, your goal is to run a marathon. Your system is your training schedule for the month.
- If you’re an entrepreneur, your goal is to build a million-dollar business. Your system is your sales and marketing process.
How can we keep our dreams and goals alive?
Sir Richard Branson, a man who clearly knows plenty about achieving extraordinary things, has some ideas, which he shared on his Virgin.com blog.
The basic principle behind his advice is head-slappingly simple -- just write it down -- but as he elaborates in the post, getting from daydream to reality requires a little more doing than simply putting pen to paper. Sir Richard offers this step-by-step process for actually reaching your goals, which he swears works for him.
Here are 10 simple steps for making a list that you will be able to stick to:
- Write down every single idea you have. No idea is too small, and no idea is too big either.
- Always carry a notebook. You need somewhere to write your ideas down, and while using a folder on your phone is better than nothing, a piece of paper is far more memorable.
- Make a list of small, manageable tasks to complete every day. Cut your day up into chunks, and you’ll get lots more done.
- Mark off every completed task. There are few more satisfying things than checking off a job well done.
- Make your goals measurable so you know if your plans are working. There’s no point setting targets if you don’t know that you are hitting them.
- Set far off, outlandish goals. Resolutions shouldn’t just have short-term endpoints. What do you want to have achieved in five years’ time? How about 50 years?
- Include personal goals in your lists, not just business. There’s no real separation between work and life, it’s all just living. The same goes for lists.
- Share your goals with others. You can help motivate each other further and hold each other to account. But remember that, in the end, you are doing this for yourself.
- Celebrate your successes!
- Then make new lists of new goals. The cycle should continue as you make more and more progress.
Write down what you want to achieve.
"If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else."-Yogi Berra
This is the famous quote by Yogi Berra that has inspired me to write this article. It is a great quote and it’s true.
We often hear things like "just do it", "start now", "don’t wait any longer". But what if I were to tell you that there is a better way?
One that will make you more productive, feel happier and allow you to achieve your goals with much less effort.
The first step towards achieving your New Year's resolutions is writing them down. Being in your head doesn't help because you forget about it, and it's easy to get distracted by life (especially these days).
I know, I know. You've heard it a million times, right? But believe me, there's a reason it's one of the most common pieces of advice you'll hear when it comes to achieving your goals: writing them down has been proven to help you remember them and integrate them faster into your life.
Conclusion
What you do daily determines how close or far you are from your goals. Find something that makes you happy and motivates you, and then make it a habit in your life every day, even if it's just for 5 minutes a day. Celebrate small achievements and don't be ashamed if they take longer than expected.
I have always believed that you have to work on your business every day. If nothing else, take one action every day and your business will grow. Remember, all it takes is that one step every day to create your journey.
So, how are you doing on your goals and systems?
If you want to talk about it, connect with me for a FREE strategy session:
https://meetings.hubspot.com/veronica-jeans
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