Did you start the year wanting personal change? Like becoming more organised or more of something else? And already it seems like your goals and good intentions are not panning out? Yep, me too and last night (over a glass of red) it was time to take a reality check and reset my next couple of months.
Setting goals is easy (if you know what you want). Achieving goals however is about creating change. Doing things differently. Yet, we all know that deep down, change is, well, not as easy as we’d like. Because it takes giving up something to get something in return. Like giving up comfort food to lose weight, or giving up procrastinating to get stuff done, or giving up the excuses that keep us in our comfort zones.
Change can be easy – when you know how
Here are 4 ways to become more effective in achieving your goals.
1. Choose your attitude – make it positive
Your attitude is a game changer. It’s more important than knowledge or skill. Your attitude will keep you going when things get tough, go wrong, or when you don’t know what to do next. Your attitude will always be a reflection of what you’re prepared to do, the action you take, and the results you achieve.
Be controlled by your attitude, not by the environment around you
Don’t wait to feel motivated or inspired – get into action first and then feel the positive emotion that comes from that. Does your attitude need some fine tuning?
2. Meet the commitments you make to yourself
Be your word – every time. Keep the promises you make to you. When you don’t, you simply validate why you can’t rely on you. Every time you make a decision to start something and don’t finish it, it diminishes how you see yourself and the value you place on who you are for you. Keeping promises takes discipline and effort. It’s worth establishing a pattern of self-worth rather than having low self-esteem.
You can push through and find a way. There’s nothing that you need other than the commitment you make and the attitude you bring.
3. Keep track of your progress
Make sure you have a way of measuring your progress. Know how you are tracking so you can keep on track, or get back on track. Are you where you want to be right now? Are you doing what it takes to get there or are you busy doing stuff that’s not contributing? Tracking your progress is a great way of keeping motivated and creating the pace you need.
4. Form good habits
Create an environment that is habit forming. Habits, while not sexy, underpin success. Success isn’t a one off – it’s created through consistent practice. Create the momentum that creates the change you want. While things might be really hard at first, remember why you want to achieve the goal. It will be worth it.
Bringing it all together
If you start with a great mindset, everything flows from there. Take responsibility for every result you achieve (great or not so great). And along the way, remember that your bigger game is defined by your standards of success, not someone else’s.
Which is these area’s could you pay more attention to in order to create the change you want?
