Ways you can turn your goals and resolutions into success

Year in, year out, we set new year resolutions but do we really follow them through to fruition? Did you set new resolutions and goals this year? Did you know that according to the Statistic Brain Research Institute, only 9.2% of all people ever feel that they are successful in achieving their New Year’s resolution? Is it necessary to set them in the first place? Well, we will leave that for you to decide. Say for instance you are planning to purchase your dream home and car or go on vacation, what are some of the things that you can do to ensure that happens? Your resolution here for instance is to increase your number of clients for your business or side hustle within a realistic timeline in order to get that extra money that will help you achieve the set goal. This said, your goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound.

A widely quoted statistic showed 80% of people give up on their resolutions by the second week in February. Why is this the case? Why do new year resolutions fail?

• Loss of focus – Say for instance you are planning to lose some weight and somewhere along the way you stop working out. Chances are, you won’t achieve that weight loss. It is therefore important to stick to a routine or quantifiable step towards reaching that objective.
• Lack of an accountability partner – You can identify a mentor or a supportive friend to help you keep track of every stage of achieving your objective.
• Lack of SMART goals – if your goals are not specific enough, it is hard to keep track of them or identify the next steps towards achieving your goals
• State of mind – without a mindset shift, it is hard to change your behavior. Your consciousness will always be your biggest drive.
• Fear of the unknown – perhaps you are subconsciously procrastinating because you are afraid to succeed because you believe that it brings more burden. An article by Forbes describes it as “Feeling Fundamentally Flawed - The biggest and most widely-shared fear is that many of us feel there is something fundamentally wrong with us and that we’re undeserving of great success and happiness. This fear causes us to hold ourselves back from fulfilling our ultimate potential because we feel we inherently don’t deserve it.” 

Now that we know the ‘why’, let’s get to the ‘how’ to turn your goals and resolutions into success:

Make a detailed plan that clearly indicates every step or stage of your goals and set a deadline on when you are most likely to have reached your objective. This will not only keep you focused but you will be able to identify/overcome the obstacles or setbacks ahead.

Learn from your past mistakes. Take some time to reflect on the things that prevented you from succeeding in your previous goals and resolutions. Take note and forge a way forward into a more positive habit. This way, you will avoid repeating the same mistakes again.

Don’t give up. Keep that burning desire to succeed. Keep your head up high and focus on the end goal. Whenever you feel like giving up, imagine where you want to be and remember the sole reason and purpose that you are seeking that success. Change is a process, it takes time. Be patient with yourself and remember that success is a journey, not a destination.

Visualize the goal. Imagine that you achieved that success that you desire. What does it look like? Now that you have that clear picture, take actionable and SMART steps to ensure that you get to where you want to be.  Visualize your success, then take action! Visualizing simply makes you understand and know when you have reached your goal. If you can visualize it, if you can dream it, there's some way to do it. _ Walt Disney

Make SMART goals. As indicated earlier, saying that you want to buy an item is not enough. You have to make a plan that is not only achievable but realistic and achievable within the set time frame. You create a saving plan that works best for you and eliminate habits that hinder you from achieving your desired outcome. In case your goal is to change your habits, for instance eating healthier, you can write up a meal plan and identify triggers that make you eat unhealthy foods and counter them accordingly. If you are planning to shed a few kilos, you can make a fitness and diet plan that works best for you and one that will help you lose that excess weight within a realistic time frame.

 We hope that this year will be your best and that you will achieve all the success you desire!

We are on your side!