New Year, New You! Right? Right?? After the year we all just had I'm sure most of us have made some resolutions to make 2021 a better year.
When goal setting, it's often the mindset you take on your journey that will make all the difference. Here are 5 ways of thinking and approaching your 2021 goal that often separates those who succeed at what they set out to do:
1. Don't expect perfection. Life has this magical ability to get in your way. Oh you have plans? Not today kid! If you're always waiting for that perfect runway to get things done, it may never happen. Which is how people end up spending years of their lives stuck in the same place because they are still waiting - waiting for the big work project to be over. Waiting for the in-laws to leave. Waiting for grief to pass. It never ends... the positive and negative challenges of life will keep coming. If you want to get something done, work through it. You may not always be perfectly adherent, but you'll be better off applying effort and consistency versus standing still in time.
2. Don't let results dictate your execution. The secret to progress lies in two aspects of execution: effort and consistency. It does not require perfection (see bullet point #1). However, effort and staying consist doesn't always provide great results right away, and impatience can get the best of us so we throw in the towel and say, "what's the point?". Well, the point is, carrying on with patience will catch more progress than shooting yourself in the foot in a moment of despair. Stay consistent. Apply constant effort; the results will come.
3. Don't compare yourself to other people. No man or woman is created the same. Some people are born with innate gifts, others with handicaps. Life isn't fair. But if you keep focusing on the disparities you'll miss your blessings. Leverage your own personal strengths and don't let comparison be the thief of your progress and joy.
4. Don't tie your self-worth to your goal. You've probably achieved amazing successes in your life already, such as career, educational social, or financial successes! You can have it everything yet feel depressed and worthless. Goals in life are great to have but they are very fleeting in terms of defining who you are. If you succeed, you can be just as unhappy as if you had failed. Remember this.
5. It's okay to change your goals and move timelines. This often happens with longer term goals. Maybe your pursuit no longer suits you. Maybe you need more time. Or maybe you crushed your goal sooner than you thought and it's time to start working towards a new goal. Trust me, it is okay to decide you want something different. See points #1, #2, #3, and #4 above. Adjust goals and timelines freely. It's your life.
Nothing in life is set in stone and we don't move through life in a linear fashion. Goal setting should be flexible and needs to adapt to your current now. If you put yourself into a rigid box of rules, it's easier to define failure and quit. If you act fluidly, success has many ways of showing itself and you're more likely to keep going.
Happy New Year, you got this!
