Did you make resolutions at New Year and then spent several enthusiastic hours planning and developing the ideas just to see them starting to drift away, only two weeks into January!?
Life’s full of distractions and we all have good intentions about focussing more on our goals, the family, the business, our health, especially when things quieten down after Christmas. But actually if you are honest with yourself you may be procrastinating and it’s time to stop making excuses and start planning so that those resolutions don’t stay future dreams forever. Here are some useful tips, if you want to really make something happen:
· Schedule some time each day over the next week to consider what you want to achieve, perhaps for just 5 minutes. Make it the same time every day – perhaps before you go to work or in the evenings. Remove anything that will distract you for those five minutes and force yourself to think only of your goal and nothing else. It’s five minutes, the TV and the washing up can wait.
· Find your motivation, why do you want to achieve that goal. If you know why you’re working towards your goal, your mind is much more likely to help you achieve it. If the reason isn’t strong enough, the excuses will be easier to find. I remember someone telling me they wanted to fit into a short skirt so that’s why they wanted to lose weight, but as I said at the time, is that really going to drive you, when the going gets tough. She said no and had a rethink to something stronger.
· Clarify your goal. It’s not enough to say you’d like to visit Scotland one day. Where in Scotland do you want to go? What time of year do you want to visit? How long will you stay? When will you go?
· Is your goal grand enough? Don’t be scared to dream big. It has to be important to you if you’re going to stay motivated. If there’s a promotion you’d like to go for, ask yourself if this is really your dream job. Does it excite you? If not, perhaps there’s a bigger and better one that you’re too scared to try for. Aim for the goal that you really want but is just out of reach and takes some effort.
· Recognise procrastination! ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’ and there is always another ‘tomorrow’ and there will always be other demands on your time. This has to be too important to be left on the ‘to do’ list.
· Visualise your goal. Look beyond achieving your goal, what does it look like and how does it feel to be there? The more detailed your image the more powerfully you will be drawn towards it.
· Plan your route. You’re setting off on a journey so you’ll need a plan. What are the steps you need to take to reach the destination, how long will each one take and when will you get to each stage? A goal without a plan for achievement is like a boat without a rudder, it could go anywhere or nowhere.
· Break it down - Now break it down into smaller achievable steps. When I first wanted to practise daily yoga and I wanted it to become a daily habit – the first steps were hard and I just couldn’t find the time in the morning to be consistent so I started it in the evening. If I couldn’t bring myself to do the practise then I’d sit on my mat and read something about yoga or put a YouTube meditation video on and just watch it. Eventually arriving on that mat became a habit.
· Make small improvements or adjustments to your steps so that next time it makes it easier. Learn from what works and what doesn’t work. Why do what you’ve always done if it hasn’t worked, change something about it.
· Celebrate your achievements. It’s very easy to ignore your success and just think it is your new normal. As you reach each stage on the way to your ultimate goal, stop and acknowledge how much you’ve achieved. Look back along the route, you’ve just travelled and be proud of yourself for getting this far. That way you’ll look forward to the next stage even more.
It is so important to always give yourself a time for reflection because it helps you to realise what you’ve achieved or you’ll find yourself rowing that boat forever and never reaching dry land. Get out and smell the roses occasionally, it will make you appreciate your achievements even more.
Click here for an interesting Ted Talk all about getting to where you want to be.