Three Steps to Achieving your Goals in 2020 and Beyond

2020 is here and with it brings a new decade. It is amazing how time flies the older we get it. What do you plan to do this year? Did you set unreasonable goals for the decade ahead? Something that appears impossible right now but with the right focus you know you can achieve it. I hope you did! While establishing your goals is important, you need to have a plan in place to achieve these goals. We can’t make intentions or big goals without knowing why and how we plan to achieve them. This is why most people never make it past the first few weeks of January before they fall back into their old ways. This week, I’ll provide you with three ways to help you achieve your goals for 2020 and beyond. These are: (1) put proper habits in place; (2) know your “why” behind your goal; and, (3) do not add too much on at one time.

“Habits are the compound interest of improvement.” James Clear

1. Put the proper habits in place

People tend to believe they can use willpower to get what they want. Willpower is a finite resource and we only have so much of it. If you are trying to stop eating sweets, go to the gym more, and start a morning journaling practice all at the same time, our mind will struggle with adopting all of these practices if we try to power through each of them. We must set-up the right environments to create the habits that we want. For example, start by not buying sweets if you know you will snack on them at night or lay your workout clothes out to force yourself to stumble over them when you wake up. You can also put your journal on your desk so you physically have to move it to do something else. Creating the right environment will make your new habits easier. Once you have the right habits in place, your goals will be one step closer and much easier to achieve.

2. Know your "why" behind your goal

Telling yourself you want to lose 20lbs is a great start but when times get tough and you don’t want to eat right or hit the gym, knowing your “why” will help keep you on track. Try writing your goal like this, “I want to lose 20 lbs because it will allow me to feel better and have more energy for my family.” This gives your goal a purpose. You want to be able to play with your kids and have a good time with your significant other and not feel run down all the time. Re-framing your goals to add a “why” can go a long way to improving your chances of achievement.

3. Start Small

When you are looking to make changes, don’t try too many things at once. Start small and build off your wins. If you want to start a journaling habit, you don’t need to tell yourself you will write multiple pages per day. You can start with one sentence. After a few days, you will naturally begin to open up and write more. If we start with doing too much at first, it is easier for us to fail. Once we fail, we start believing that we are not the type of person that does “X.” Start small and make consistent improvements. You will then become determined to keep it up. If you happen to get off track, make sure to start back as quick as you can. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It is the small consistent effort that wins over time.

To Sum it Up

I want 2020 to be your biggest year yet! One of the keys to this not to get frustrated out of the gate and fall back into your bad habits. Start by creating your goals and the “why” behind them, then come up with a plan to achieve them. Create the right environments in order to make your habits sustainable. You must turn your new habits into a lifestyle and this means falling in love with the process and changing how you view yourself. You must think about the long game and not get caught up in quick fixes. Make sure to start small so you can achieve some wins from the beginning. Lastly, if you get thrown off track make sure to start back as quick as you can. Missing one day is fine but when that day turns into a week it can quickly derail all of your goals.

Call to Action

If you are looking for more individualized help, please contact me through my website www.symmetry.live I create individualized programs for my clients to help them achieve their goals. 

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