As the New Year is upon us it is a time to reflect on the year that has passed and to look at possibilities of opportunities for the year ahead. Some of you will have habits that you want to change, such as smoking, and some of you will have goals that you would like to achieve, such as getting that promotion at work. If you are like most people, the enthusiasm for change starts in early January and for most wears off by February.
First decide what areas of your life you wish to focus on?
Looking at different areas of your life, ask yourself “What would I like to change or improve?” Examples of areas of your life may include career development, learning, fitness and health, relationships, sport, social activities or finance.
Ask yourself what is in it for you?
Now you have selected the area/s of your life you would like to change or improve jot down the reasons why you wish to make these changes. Are these reasons strong enough for you to commit fully to the change? Is ityourgoal? Many people set goals because they are influenced by others. It is important that the goal is something that you really aspire to do to ensure maximum satisfaction and completion.
Now decide what resources you need to enable you to achieve your goal/s?
You have many resources within you so identify what your current skills and talents are and use them accordingly. Do you need anything additional to assist you to move towards your goal? If so write each of them down. What external resources can you tap into? Take some time to think about what external help you could use and consider people you know who can help you with your plans.
What obstacles are in your way?
It is important to be realistic and to identify obstacles at the very beginning. Write down possible obstacles that may come up and also identify solutions for overcoming these obstacles.
Have you ever considered that some of these obstacles may be created by you? It is important to become aware of your thinking and how it influences what you do and who you are. We sometimes limit ourselves because we find it difficult to look beyond our beliefs and values. When we become more open minded and consider beliefs and possibilities that we wouldn’t usually think about, we start to open up a range of opportunities. You may not even be aware of your limiting beliefs.
To identify your limiting beliefs ask yourself “What beliefs do I have that could be holding me back?” “How could these be affecting my ability to change?” For example you may believe that you can’t exercise because of your size or that you do not have it in you to be a manager. Identify your limiting beliefs and write down next to each one a positive statement that will be more helpful to move you towards your goal.
Here are some examples:
· Instead of saying "I can’t exercise because I am too large,” say, "Exercise is great because my weight enables me to burn more energy and build lean mass easier”
· Instead of saying "I will never get a promotion" say, "I am skillful and working towards developing the right competencies to secure a senior role"
· Instead of saying, “I can’t do this”, say, “with the right training/support I know I can do this.
Be SMART and develop clarity
Many of you will be familiar withSMARTgoal setting and there is a good reason why this comes up time and time again; it actually does work! Now is the time to start formulating a plan to ensure your success in 2010. The clearer the goal with timely tasks on your journey will mean the more chance you will have of success.
SMARTgoal setting is one of the most important tasks for success allowing you to plan what, how, and when things need to happen.
Using the acronymSMART, the key to constructing a good plan is as follows: -
S = Specific -Identify what you want to achieve. Simply saying, “I want to lose weight” is not specific enough. Ask yourself “How much weight do I want to lose and how do I want to feel?”
M= Measurable– How will you know you have reached your goal? If you wish to tackle your smoking habit then ask yourself “Do I want to stop smoking completely or do I wish to cut down, by how many?”
A=Achievable or Appealing- Set goals that are achievable to you, this may mean taking baby steps and you may need some extra skills or help from outside. Goals must also be attractive to you. Find a positive vision of the future to focus on.
R= Realistic- Set yourself up for success, can you fully commit to your goal? Having a stretching goal is ambitious, however identify in advance any possible setbacks and be adaptable, adjusting your plan if you need too.
T = Timed- Put a time scale of your overall goal and sub goals in place. If you would like a to get a promotion at work identify the skills you need and set timed milestones for each action needed.
Any finally! Keep your plan alive.
Each day focus on the benefits of reaching your goal. Write a reminder statement and pin it up somewhere visible. Include why this goal is important to you, what you really hope for and why you would like to achieve it. Focus on the positives, for example “I would like to lose weight so I am healthy and fit”. To make this more powerful you could practice visualising yourself at your desired shape and size or visualise succeeding in the role you desire to have.
Following these points will help you on your journey to achieving personal and business success in 2010. However, coming up with a plan is not easy for everyone and for some, support from a trained professional can assist greatly. If you encounter difficulty you may want to consider external support, such as a Life Coach who will help you through the process.
