I love the time between Christmas and the New Year. My business is slowing down, which gives me time to think and reflect about the past and dream about the future. And to make some New Year's resolutions. Do New Year's resolutions give you a a smile because they remind you of goals achieved, or a bad taste of broken promises?
For many, I suspect it is the second. Sometimes I think having a fitness center must be the best business ever. In January half the country signs up for a one-year membership and in February the place is empty. Having clients paying for something that they do not use must be very profitable.
What is the difference between someone setting a New Year's resolution and failing to follow through and an elite athlete setting and achieving the goal to be in the 2016 Olympics? Many times a clear roadmap is missing.
In this post I want to show how you can turn your New Year's resolutions into concrete results so that 2014 will be your best year ever! As always we have the help of our iPhone.
1. Take Time to Reflect
Go to a place where you will not be disturbed. Look back at your past year and notice the highs and the lows. What did you like and what did you not like in your previous year? What would you like to see more of and what would you like to see less off? Take notes in your iPhone. Go through your social media feeds and find some highlights.
2. Ask Yourself, "Where Am I Now?"
Look at your life at this point in time. Where are you when it comes to your health, relationships, career/business, and finances? What do you need to focus on in the next couple of months to design and live an extraordinary life? Rank yourself between 1 and 10 in the major parts of your life. Write it down in your iPhone and make sure to put a date next to it. This is a snapshot of your life at a given point in time. Try to check in with yourself at least once a month to see that you are going in the right direction.
3. Analyze
Look at everything you wrote down about your past and your present and look for patterns. When were you the happiest? Who were you with? What were you doing? What do you not want to happen again?
4. Dream!
If 2014 was your best year ever what would it look like? Write it down as a story as if it were December 2014. You can start with pen and paper, but when you are done I recommend you transfer everything into your iPhone so you can review often during the year.
5. Break it Down into Concrete Goals
From your dream find some highlights and make them into two to four measurable goals. Next find pictures that relate to these goals and put them in your 2014 goal folder in your iPhone. Review often.
6. Action Plan
Break down your goals into a clear action plan. What do you need to do today to get closer to your goal? Put some action steps into your to-do application. Schedule it!
7. Install New Habits
What new habit do you need to install to achieve your goal? Use the app Good Habits (free) to push yourself to put this new habit into place.
8. Commit
Make a commitment to make this happen. First to yourself by recording a voice memo: “Thanks to my commitment, 2014 has been the best year in my life!” (or something similar related to your goal). Put this voice memo in your favorite play list so you listen to it from time to time.
Next commit to your friends and family. Either by posting your goals on social media so everyone can read them or by sending to selected people that you know will support you.
That is the theory behind making 2014 an awesome year. Now do the exercises and go out and make it happen!
You can download a complete version of this goal exercise for free by clicking here.