We all like to start the year with an impressive list of New Year’s resolutions as long as our Christmas wish list. But how many of us actually follow through and put a strategy in place to meet our objectives?
What can you do to make 2019 the year it all happens? Here are some pointers to help make your resolutions realistic, and achievable:
SMART APPROACH
What does it take to create career resolutions that last? The SMART method is a tried and tested approach to goal-setting which can pave the way to achieving your resolutions. The premise of this approach is to ensure that all the resolutions you make are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Timely
Instead of the ambiguous goal “I want to lose weight”, consider defining your goal using the SMART method as “I want to lose 10 kg of weight by 31 May 2019 by avoiding fatty foods and carbs at least five days a week and by going to the gym at least two hours each week”.
ONE THING AT A TIME
Not everything can happen at once. Work towards changing one major thing at a time, otherwise you risk burdening yourself with too much pressure. Think about your resolutions as a domino effect, start with one or two and once you achieve these you can go onto the next. Also, consider breaking a major resolution in smaller, achievable milestones and make sure you celebrate and acknowledge each time you hit a milestone. This will keep your motivation flowing.
Don’t meet one of your milestones? This doesn’t mean your 2019 ambitions will come crashing down. Find out what the barriers were, of reaching this goal: Was it not realistic? Did you get distracted? Assess these and make any adjustments required to get yourself back on track.
TALK ABOUT IT
Discuss your experiences, goals and ambitions with your friends and family, their involvement is important to your success. Even try and search outside your inner circle and reach out to experts and people who can help you reach your goals. A personal trainer can help push you to achieve your fitness goals and if your goal is to change or advance your career, speak to one of our consultants about your goals so we can guide you and help to achieve this.
CREATE AN ACTION PLAN
Don’t wait for your resolutions to resolve themselves, it takes work, planning and time. You need to be specific when planning your goals, continually assess them, track progress, seek help when you might need it and look at what tools you might need to achieve them.
There is a huge range of tools available to help you track and meet your goals.
- Your calendar is a simple straight forward place to set reminders for yourself to make sure you stay on track and to also document your milestone
- A mobile to do list like Wunderlist can help you get yourself organised, wherever you are.
- Tools like MyFitnessPal are great apps to facilitate your fitness and health goals which also include expert advice.
- MyQuitBuddy can be a great support if your goal is to quit smoking.
- If you are looking to learn new skills, have a look at our skills page on Engage. We have partnerships with Percipio and Academy XI to offer you free or discounted courses, content and other means to develop yourself in a diverse range of areas.
- Or use tools like Headspace to keep you in the right… well, headspace.
STICKING TO THEM
Setting goals is easy, while following through can be difficult. The tools and strategies above should help you on your way and some could even be pivotal to your success. According to IT collaboration solutions company Workbar, setting goals in your personal life can also help drive achievement in your professional life, so it’s good to start with something small and not take everything on at once.
To help you stay on track with these goals check in regularly and reward yourself at intervals as you reach your targets, everyone deserves a pat on the back along the way.