Time for a new you?
What do I mean when I talk about a new you? At this time of the year many people start to think about setting or achieving New Year’s resolutions or goals. You may even have already broken some of your New Year’s resolutions yourself?
As per my previous blogs, I think that it is best to set goals rather than New Year’s resolutions. I think that having well-thought out goals in place can really help to move you forward. I do not set New Year’s resolutions myself. Why wait for a year to set new intentions to create a new you? Goals can be made anytime.
The difference between goals and resolutions
I think that normally there is more thought that goes into setting goals. If you only have a vague idea of something that you may wish to change, you are unlikely to achieve it. However if you set goals, preferably SMART goals you will much more likely to be successful. This is due to you likely being more focused on them, provided that they are the right goals for you.
I have written several previous blog posts about goal-setting. Also, I regularly run courses to help you set and achieve the right goals for you. I think that at New Year we often think about what has not happened for us in the last year. We may set resolutions to make some changes. However, crucially, we forget to put the steps in place to make it actually happen. You need to make changes to create that new you.
A reminder about SMART goals
For those that need a reminder, each letter stands for a factor to consider when setting goals.
S is for Specific – it is no good being vague about a goal; it needs to be clearly defined.
M is for Measurable – it needs to be something that can measure. We can then know for sure when it has been achieved. Ideally, we will also be able to measure how progress along the way.
A is Achievable or Attainable – there is no point in setting a goal that is not likely to be able to be achieved. How de-motivating would that be?
R is Realistic – you need to take in all the considerations of whether the goal is realistic for you to achieve, at this current time, with whatever else you have going on.
T is for Time-Bound. It is best to have a time-frame for your goal. This will help to keep your motivated and on track.
Top tips for setting goals
Finally, some top tips for setting goals to create that new you:
Use the SMART system as described above.
Set your own goals – don’t let others set them for you – you need to be passionate about what you wish to achieve as this passion will drive your progress.
Write your goals down. You are more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down.
Break your goals down to make them more achievable. Write down the smaller goals on action plan.
Reward yourself when you meet the smaller goals. This will help your motivation for achieving more.
Do not ‘beat yourself up’ if you do not achieve all that you wish to achieve or if you have to make changes. Your action plan should have some flexibility built into it.
Need extra support to achieve your goals?
If you find you are not feeling very motivated, review whether you have set the right goals for you, they can always be changed or tweaked, if necessary.
However your lack of motivation is due to needing some accountability look at what is the best type of accountability for you. You could work with a coach like myself or just have accountability sessions with a friend or colleague who has similar goals. Check out my Facebook page here.
Whatever, you do remember that you may have to step outside your comfort zone to achieve your goals. If it is this that is holding you back see what you can do to get help and support with this – it is the stepping outside our comfort zone that helps us grow. However, take the small steps first and your comfort zone will grow. Please do get in touch if you need help with this as this is also something that I can help you with.
You may wish to check out this course here to help you Renew You!
Happy Goal setting folks! Enjoy creating the new you and achieving your goals.
Find more information about Goals here.