Start your 2019 year off right and get going on your goals!
ACTIVATE YOUR INNER MUSE
When it comes to goals, who said you have just stick to pen and paper? Activate the creative part of your brain and your inner muse. Sketch or draw from the heart with pencil, colored pencils, charcoal or markers. Create your vision board with photos and magazine cutouts. Those visuals can be helpful in the goal-setting process. Do some avid brainstorming and record your thoughts on paper or on an electronic device.
You’ll work best to achieve your goals when they are aligned with your purpose, so reflect on what makes you the happiest, where you want to be and what you want to be doing. Envision yourself being productive and successful. Narrow your focus to what is most meaningful. Keep a clear picture in mind of what fulfills you the most and why you want to be triumphant in accomplishing these goals.
Plot out what you envision your goals to be, then narrow them down. Make them more practical and straightforward. Make sure they are attainable, specific, and measurable. If the goals are too high in the sky, bring them back down to earth. Make sure stages of accomplishment can be measured. Make them doable, and determine a time frame that makes sense.
WRITE IT DOWN: MAKE IT STICK
Why write your goals down? Because it works! Science confirms that you will remember things better when you write them down. Once written, review the goals often to get inspired, set your intentions and encourage your internal motivation to steer you forward. Post your goals where you’ll see them every day. Review them, stay focused, and re-commit to them every day.
BABY STEPS AND BITE-SIZED PIECES
Work on the goals daily and break them down into bite-sized pieces. A specific action plan is important. The night before, make your next day’s to-do list, listing tasks from the most important all the way down to the smallest tasks that simply must be done. In the morning, most people are happy to cross off the small stuff first, but the better plan might be to tackle the one big thing that will move you closer to your goal before doing anything else.
GET IN THE HABIT
Are your goals aligned with your habits? Your habits, whether good or bad, healthy or unhealthy, can make or break your productivity and success. Develop habits that will help you. Establish a routine with consistency, diligence, hard work and passion to drive you forward. Practice makes perfect. Doors will open. Opportunities will emerge. In due time, you will reap an abundant harvest.
TOMORROW IS YOUR FUTURE
Staying committed to your destiny and living out your purpose in the present moment is an investment in what is to come. It takes perseverance to make this work. Select a time frame for each goal and determine when you want it completed. Prioritize your goals. Know which ones are the most important and consider tackling the ones at the top of your list first.
GET ACCOUNTABLE
Consider having an accountability partner – maybe even more than one. Having someone you know and trust can give you a much-needed boost and can help you stay focused, attentive and committed to achieving your goals. Discussing your goals regularly can keep them from sliding off the radar screen to the backburner. An accountability partner can help you to stay fixed on aiming for success.
PRAISE AND REWARDS
Try positive reinforcement and incorporate a self-reward system so you will be encouraged to work hard and stay accountable. Praise and treat yourself when you take a step forward to meeting your goals. Whether it’s a luxurious massage (at a spa or DIY), an adventuresome movie night (at home or at a movie theatre), or a special meal (at home or out), find little and big ways of rewarding your progress to help you stay motivated on the track of commitment.
Take action! Feel good about your goals and work on them proactively. Even a little bit of progress is still progress, and every little bit of progress really adds up over time.
Share your goals with others and make them an active part of your life. Stay focused on where you want to be headed, then take baby steps, bigger steps, and even leaps of faith in the direction of your dreams.
