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Every year, millions of people set goals at the beginning of the year and every year many of those millions fail. Some have set the same goals every new year for years, maybe decades, because making resolutions come true is hard when you lose enthusiasm and go back to old habits and routines. Then the months pass quickly and before we know it, another year is coming. What, then, is the difference between those who make the same resolutions year after year and those who comply with their resolutions? Follow these five steps:
Think about the reasoning for your goal
When setting a goal, it’s important to consider why you want to achieve that goal and whether you do it for the right reasons. Dr. Michael Bennett, a psychiatrist and author of two self-help books, told New York News“Whether you do it for the feeling of hatred or remorse or for a strong passion right now, it doesn’t usually last long,” he said. “But if you create a process where you are thinking more about what is good for you, you will change the structure of your life, you will bring into your life people who will reinforce that resolution, then I think you have the opportunity to fight.” .
Don’t be afraid to grow up
Setting big goals is key to achieving your major successes, and according to Harvard Medical School, having a great goal in itself can inspire you to achieve it, whether it’s to run a marathon, start a business, write a book, or get into in graduate school. They also say that a great goal will often inspire those around you, who can encourage and help you by helping you in practical ways to help you achieve your goal. And feel free to ask for help when you need it.
Make a short list of tasks each day
In his book, Smarter Faster Better Pulitzer Prize-winning business reporter Charles Duhigg explains how to-do lists affect productivity. “Studies indicate that about 15% of people who write to-do lists will write down things they’ve already completed because it feels great to check them out and have the feeling of being productive,” Duhigg said. Medium. “The problem is that a to-do list is used for what is known as mood repair, not for productivity.” And research shows that when you have a long to-do list, you’ll probably decide to complete the easy, non-essential tasks of the more complex tasks you postpone. Medium writes that every morning Duhigg makes a list of three things, which seems like a short list, but that helps him perform the most essential tasks, rather than tasks that just feel good to complete.
Measure your progress
All the sources I cite in this article and most of the articles you read about productivity indicate that you should have calculable goals and measure the incremental progress you make on those goals. Some goals are made to be measured, such as weight loss or miles per week. Other goals are harder to measure, such as a job promotion or a new career. You will then need to break down your goal into smaller, calculable goals. What should you do to get a promotion or a new job: is it to win new customers? Completing certain projects? Is getting a new certification part of that equation? How many applications do you submit each week? How many network emails do you send? These are ways to calculate a difficult-to-measure goal by dividing it into tasks and tracking your progress.
Forget perfection
The American Psychological Association writes that a key part of success is the way you treat yourself when you fail and will inevitably fail. Failure is the process of success. Whether you forget to publish a newspaper, are too busy to exercise next, or eat what you try not to eat, and so on. everything is part of the process. Learn from it. Could it have been avoided? If not, forgive yourself and start tomorrow. If it could have been avoided, consider why and make the necessary changes to move forward (i.e., limit your obstacles, don’t allow bad habits, etc.). Start again tomorrow and don’t let your disappointment send you into a spiral of shame or guilt. Everyone fails, don’t let that dampen your enthusiasm.