As 2014 has swiftly arrived, we are brought to that time of
the season when most of us take to planning and plotting the next 12
months of our lives. If you’re already considering your to-do lists and
new years resolutions, then you’re on the right track, but you’ll need
to be careful in making your plans in order to be sure that you’re able
to use them to your advantage!
Set Goals
The first rule of making progress in anything you do is
setting goals, allowing yourself to always have a finish line in sight.
This provides a boost in motivation during those moments when slogging
forward seems impossible, giving you something tangible to work towards
at every moment.
Whether you’re planning positive changes to your work or
personal life, take note of the things that you want to achieve by the
end of the year, and what you’ll need to do in order to get there. With
these goals firmly in heart and mind, you’ll have just what you need to
propel you in the right direction.
But wait…
Set Reasonable Goals
Goals are great, but what if those goals are only barely
achievable? Like a high-risk gambler, you stand to gain the most when
you meet sky-high expectations, but your chances of any success at all
are well below par.
In order to limit your risk of perceived failure, be sure
not to aim too high when setting your goals. Take the time to consider
your history and your present circumstances, planning to hit milestones
that are within reach instead of shooting for the stars and coming up
short.
That’s not to say that you’ll never reach the stars, mind you – only that you’ll need to get to them in incremental steps.
Alright, you’ve got goals set that are useful, reachable,
and will serve to take your endeavors to the next level throughout 2014.
With the whole year plotted out ahead of you, it may seem that you’re
ready to close the books on another successful year planned and get
started with the heavy lifting.
Not so fast.
You may feel particularly pumped up about achieving your
goals now, but what about that inevitable day when inspiration is
lacking and your goals seem further away than they did the day before?
Whether it’s a day, a week, or a month away, that time will come, and
you’ve got to narrow your plans even further if you want to get yourself
on the right track without fear of hitting a serious bump.
Overarching goals are a necessary thing when you’re taking
in the big picture, but life isn’t a big picture; on the contrary, life
happens minute by minute, and that means that you’ll also need a more
focused view. In order to achieve maximum momentum and build the kind of
habits that lead to long-term success, be sure to set incremental goals
that take you from point to point towards the place you visualize
yourself being at the end of 2014.
No matter what your goals are and what aspect of your life
they apply to, good planning and hard work will get you there – good
luck!
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