Think about where you might be—both professionally and personally—in five or ten years time. Do you picture yourself exactly where you are now?
Chances are that for many of us the answer to this question is no. For good reason too. Even if we are happy now, we hope that by then we will have grown in some way. We imagine that we will: be in a better position, have a better job and are doing better things than we are today. So how do we actually get there?
“If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” – Zig Ziglar
Goals are what helps us move forward in our life. Committing to working towards something and physically writing it down will increase the chance that it becomes a reality. It’s for this reason that so many people set New Year’s resolutions. However, research suggests that 80% of these New Years resolutions fail by February. So, can you achieve your 2020 goals?
Start by Thinking Big
Sometimes when we start to think about where we are currently and where we dream of being it can get a bit overwhelming. So much can happen in a year that people tend to think they have endless time to work on their goals. Suddenly “I’ll start next Monday” turns into “I’ll start when I’m less busy with work” turns into “maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.”
We’ve all been there.
So heading towards the end of 2019 set a time to brainstorm about what your 2020 goals are for the year to come. Think big and write down things as soon as they come to mind.
Most importantly think about the things you have a deep burning desire to achieve. If you’re not sure what this is, think about the people that turn you green with envy. Then be honest with yourself and write down exactly what they have that you want. This trick has a funny way of revealing what you truly desire.
You should develop a list. It’s probably big and feels unattainable. Relax, this is okay.
Next, cut down your list to your top five goals and then your top three. This will make you think long and hard about what is the most important things for you to focus on.
Once you have your three goals, make sure that they are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely). Too many people make big general goals that are impossible to measure, and then look back and ask themselves why they didn’t get fit or get healthier or do better at work.
Next, leave them for a week. Sounds counterproductive; however, if you step back from your goals you’ll return to them with a fresh perspective and a clear head. Think about if you are really happy with the goals you have chosen. Rinse and repeat this process until you feel completely set on them.
Then Think Small
While these big, important goals feel like the be-all and end-all, it’s important not to forget to break up these big goals into smaller steps that we can take each month, week or day to work towards them. The smaller the better.
Heading into the New Year consider listing out all the actions you would like to take each day, whether it be the night before or first thing in the morning. Checking off that you sent that email you had been putting off or that you went for a walk can make you feel a lot happier and productive. This feeling of accomplishment will also fuel the larger goals. Focus on these small wins and understand that your mini-goals connect to a larger purpose.
Time for change
New Year’s resolutions may be a cliche but the reality is that New Years period is really a great time to consider and reflect on our goals for the year ahead. So, start setting your 2020 goals! The allure of a fresh start is waiting.
“A year from now you may wish you had started today.”– Karen Lamb
If one of your 2020 goals is to transition to a new career path, check out our careers page here.
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