How to achieve your goals this year

A new year is upon us once again and there is plenty of talk of what resolutions to set for the year ahead. Personally, prefer to call them 'goals', as I think the word goal indicates more attainability than a New Years Resolution.

These are the steps I follow every year to achieve my yearly goals and some years I have managed to achieve them, and some I haven't so much (there was a pandemic on, so we'll let me off). 

These are the 5 easy steps I use to achieve my goals every year.

 

1. Set a goal

Quite an obvious place to start, but a start nonetheless. First, consider what you want. Ask yourself, what do I want to achieve? How do I want to spend my time this year? How do I want to look back on the next year? You can have as many or as little as you like. Personally I like to keep 3-5, no more than 10 other wise it's a lot to keep track of.

2. Write your goals down

Writing your goals down makes them real. It leaves them set in stone and is your first act in saying, this is what I am going to achieve this year. You can store these in the notes app on your phone, in a journal, a note pad or have them stuck on your mirror. I like to have them somewhere I can access them and where I can remind myself of them through out the year. 

3. Make your goals achievable 

You don't want to give yourself an impossible task but you still want a challenge. Start small if you need to. It's great to think big but you make them too ambitious, you are setting yourself up to fail. Make your goals something you know you can do if you really put your mind to it or that are within your grasp. 

I find breaking them down into monthly or weekly goals easier to keep track of.

4. Make your goals measurable

Instead of keeping it vague, give a specific time frame or a specific amount you want to achieve . For instance, I will read one book a month or I will read one chapter a day. 

5. Express your goals positively 

Psychology says our brains automatically remove negative connotations so if you are saying 'no takeaways' your brain sees 'takeaways'. Also the more you try and restrict yourself from something, the more you end up wanting it. Instead turn your goal into a positive spin, for the example used, 'I will cook more' is a much more positive way to word that goal. The more positive your goals are the more likely you are to achieve them.

What are your goals for 2022?