As the clock ticks, getting ready to bring in the New Year, you may be reflecting and thinking about who you want to be, what you what to do, or what you want to have in the new year.

New Year. New Goals. New You.

You may have identified habits that are not serving you. You may have decided you want to do more travelling or enter a race. Perhaps you decided you want to clear off the debt hanging over your head. Many resolutions people make are related to changing something. Change can be uncomfortable. You may feel like you are losing something or sacrificing something you really enjoy. You may have looked back at the past year and thought it was amazing. You may have kicked yourself thinking the resolutions you made did not get past the third week of January like most people who proclaim resolutions.

There are many reasons you may not have been successful in the past and what you can do about moving forward:

Lack Clarity for What You Want

You know you want something to change but you have not pinpointed what that change is exactly. You may feel paralyzed or confused not knowing what your next step should be. A confused mind cannot make a decision. What do you want and why do you want it? Ask yourself questions to gain clarity.

What do I want to feel most proud of at the end of the year?

What are the specific areas of my life I would like to enhance or change?

What is one thing I can do in the next 3 months that would set me up for the greatest success for the next 12 months?

When you know what you want, you can make choices that align with getting what you want. You will be intentional with your actions.

Not Ready to Change

You may be one of those people who blurt out the New Year’s Resolution thinking this is what other people want you to do so maybe that’s what you say you will do. Deep down you know you are not ready to change. You do not see your weight, your habits, your spending, or your time management as a problem. You enjoy food, the cigarette, the clutter, the gambling, retail therapy, or video games too much. It makes you feel good, there is a sense of comfort, so you do not see an issue. Perhaps the change requires too much effort and you tell yourself you are satisfied – but you are deciding to settle instead.

What do you enjoy most about _________________________?

No Tracking of Progress

Did you make a change this past year? Was it successful? Did you track your activity? Many people say that they made changes and took action. The action they took was random. They did not measure or have any milestone markers to see if their actions made a difference. Remember what gets measured gets managed. You can use simple tools like a blank calendar, a sticker chart, habit tracker, thermometer, or a colouring chart to create a visual tracking of your progress. You can identify gaps and areas for re-adjustment when you track progress.

Overwhelmed with What Needs to Get Done

The enthusiasm and excitement of the New Year may have led you to set too many goals and unrealistic time frames. It is great to be all in! You want to set yourself up for success. Choose 1-3 goals larger goals for the year and 1-3 smaller goals per quarter. You want your goals to be manageable. Break down the goal into smaller goals – one month, 2 weeks, and daily activities. You will not be overwhelmed when you focus on what you need to do in the present. All your actions will compound leading to achieving the big goal you set for yourself.

You Do Not Have a Plan

No goal is achieved without a plan. An end desire in mind.  It is great to cut out picture and design your vision board. A vision board is not meant to be a beautiful collage of picture on the wall. Your vision board is a visual of all you want to be, do, and have in your life. It is a tool that requires action. What qualities do you want to possess? What do you want to be doing? What experiences do you want to have? What do you want to own?

Now, to get what you want…

You must do what you may not have done in the past.

WARNING: You may stretch out of your comfort zone – and chances are you will like the results you get.

You want to start off by reverse engineering what it takes to make the plan a reality. Focus on the result. What actions are necessary to get you to the desired result? Start by blocking off the activity in your calendar. Be consistent. When you do one action every day toward your goals, you are much closer than if you took 5 random actions in a month. Make a plan. Work the plan.

Resolutions fail, goals prevail! Set goals. Ink out your SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely) goals. Make an action plan to achieve them. Next year when the clock strikes midnight, you will be celebrating a year well designed and a year well lived.

Debra Kasowski

Debra Kasowski, the charismatic host of the thought-provoking
podcast, The Millionaire Woman Show, is committed to
enriching the leadership potential of her countless clients,
essentially guiding them to go within to capitalize on their true
personal power, so they can achieve the measurable success
they desire in business, and in life.
After graduating with distinction, having earned a Bachelor of
Science in Nursing, this award winning, three-time international
bestselling author, speaker and Certified Executive Coach spent
many years as a clinical manager exceling in leadership
development, before founding Debra Kasowski International, a
world-class training and consulting venture focused on helping
aspiring business owners and solopreneurs develop the winning
“success habits” that transform human potential into sustainable
profits.
Clearly, if you’re motivated to move beyond the mediocre,
inspired to forge on to the forefront with a proven plan of action,
there’s no doubt that the indomitable Debra Kasowski is your solution.www.debrakasowski.com