Reflecting back and focusing forward
It Is hard to believe we are in the last few weeks of 2021. I enjoy this time of the year as It is a great time for reflection and future focus.
Did you make a new year resolution (or 3) at the start of this year? How many of them are still on track or have been achieved now that we are at the end of the year?
Statistically, most people have already broken their resolution by the 2nd Friday in January. Sadly, 95 % of people who set a new years resolution do not follow through.
I believe, this happens because, even though we may take the time to think about what we would like to achieve in the year ( In fact, most times we will even write them down, which is a good thing as we then have 43% more chance of achieving it) but we do not set an action plan or put the necessary habits in place to achieve the goal.
So let’s focus on how to turn goal setting into goal getting or turning those resolutions into realisations. Let’s get you to be one of the 5% who do follow through. Ready?
We will start by looking back.
We need to first take time to reflect on what we have achieved and accomplished before we start to work on what is next. It is not all about what we still want it is also about appreciating what we have already achieved.
Remember, It is okay to look back if we are focusing on our positive past.
Stop and reflect and understand what it meant to achieve these goals. How you felt when you got there – who you became on the way there and once you achieved it.
Ultimately realising that you can achieve your goals.
For me, one of the biggest achievements in 2021 was becoming a TONY ROBBINS Results coach. One of only 140 in the world. Why is it so important to me? It links to the following important values I have: meaningful interactions, personal development, contribution, connection and to be inspired and to be inspiring.
I have grown so much over this time and am truly grateful for this amazing opportunity.
Take some time now to reflect on your year and what you have achieved.
Now. Let’s start to focus on looking forward.
If you don’t know where you are going how will you know when you get there? We need direction. A road map. We need a GPS if you like.
What does every GPS need?
1 ) To know where you are 2) To know where you are going.
We are living through a very unusual time and we all feel a little vulnerable not knowing what will happen and when we will be getting back to what we remember as normal. So, now more than ever we need to be focusing on the future and putting our goals in place.
Coming out of Covid and we will come out of it, remember every storm runs out of rain and the sun will shine again– we want to be ready and have things to look forward to.
Now a new year is coming in 2022. Let’s make sure we have some goals ready to go.
Take some time to think about what you want your ideal life to look like. Most of my clients choose to focus on these 4 areas: Relationships, Career, Health and Wellbeing, and Finances. What does your ideal life look like in these 4 areas?
Are you the driver or the passenger of your life?
If you allow others to influence your decisions, tell you what you should or shouldn’t be doing then you are not in the driver’s seat!
Being in the driver’s seat means you are making choices according to what is truly important to YOU! How do we know what those things are? We focus on what our values and beliefs are. As mentioned above when I looked at my goal linked to my values it makes it much more meaningful and enticing.
There is a vital difference between values and beliefs.
Values come from the inside out. They are intrinsically within us, you can feel it in your gut. If you are asked to do something that does not fit in with your values it feels uncomfortable and you will know. Have you ever worked for a company or leader who has different values than you? That’s right, now you know what I mean don’t you.
Beliefs come from the outside in. We learn beliefs. From our parents, upbringing, the media, and experiences we have.
So understanding and acknowledging your values and beliefs allows you to make better choices. You can say YES OR more importantly NO to something depending on if it fits in with you.
Next, we need to make our goals SMART!
You may already be familiar with the SMART goal concept. It was developed by George Doran, Arthur Miller and James Cunningham in their 1981 article “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management goals and objectives” and has become a universal tool in goal setting.
SPECIFIC be as clear as possible. WE THINK IN IMAGES so visualise yourself in the circumstance. Ask the questions Who, What, Where, When, and Why
MEASURABLE A step-by-step plan of action you get to tick off.
Side note: HABITS AND GOALS GO HAND IN HAND. A weight goal is easiest to reiterate this point. If the goal is to reach a certain weight, the habit is to lock in regular exercise and healthy eating. These habits will allow you to tick off those kilos as you release them. Easy to measure your progress.
ACHIEVABLE: Focus on your skills talents and strengths. Knowing what you are good at and what you have learnt. Guess what? If you don’t have the skills what do you need to do?
RELEVANT Remember this is all about you! Is this goal relevant to WHO YOU ARE. Does it link to your values, beliefs and what lights you up?
TIME BOUND: Set a deadline. Without a deadline ANYTIME becomes NO TIME and WHENEVER becomes NEVER
Now the WHY?
Stop and take the time to write down and understand what motivates you to achieve this goal – your compelling reason that makes it a MUST. This will make all the difference.
When you have a compelling reason – you will get excited about setting up the plan to get there and implementing the actions!
Finding your purpose for your goal is often the missing puzzle piece that makes the difference between having a goal and actually achieving it.
So now we know how to go from just setting a goal to getting one!
Get SMART ABOUT IT, know your purpose and why you want to achieve the goal, and then take massive action to get there!
Do you need help in getting those goals set and actioned? Get started today with your no-risk, no-cost 15 minutue Discovery Call, and let’s explore the possibilities together.
When is “now” a good time?
