Don't Set A Single Goal This Year
SMASH YOUR GOALS THIS YEAR… BY NOT SETTING THEM
Choose this over goal setting to make 2019 your best year yet.
Stop Setting Goals This Year.
Seriously. Don’t set a goal or make a single resolution.
I mean it…
As a notorious goal setter, I have made the commitment to not set any goals this year.
I mean, goals are fine and all - they are something to strive for, something to work towards, and a proverbial target to aim for. But all too often… somewhere along the way, we miss.
We stop working towards our goal, we give up, get sidetracked, or decide it was too lofty a goal and that we should maybe wait until the next year, as if we will magically have the gumption to achieve it when the calendar strikes January 1st again.
Yet the path to obtaining a goal isn’t the only problem; it’s what happens if, and when you actually do achieve your goal. When a goal is your target, once you hit it, it’s all too common to stop doing all of the things that led you to achieve the goal… landing you right back to where you were before you set the goal in the first place.
This year,
vow to make commitments
instead of goals.
If you want to lose weight, commit to exercising 4 days a week instead of a goal of losing 20 pounds.
If you want to be on time, commit to setting an alarm to leave the house, instead of just “not being late”.
If you want to take on less this year, commit to setting boundaries rather than just being “less busy”.
The act of committing to habits will always get you further than a goal.
Why?
Because simply setting a goal set you up for failure the minute you fall “off track”. Our mind is wired to avoid hard things, to avoid failure and feelings of hurt. The moment we have failed ourselves, we are more likely to give up altogether to avoid the future pain of failure. Yet the moment we break a commitment to ourselves, such as missing one workout… we still have a chance to recover and it doesn’t seem so lofty in the grand scheme of things.
What do you want to be different in 2019?
According to studies, the annual top 3 New Year’s resolutions are to lose weight, exercise more, and save more money. Great intentions, yet 80% of New Years Resolutions fail by the second week of February.
How can you avoid this common pitfall and increase your chances of success?
Set commitments instead of goals
Track your success
Change the way you think about success and failure
Hire a coach to keep you accountable
Set Commitments:
Stop setting gargantuous goals that you aren’t even aware of what it will take to achieve them. A healthy weight loss is 1-2 pounds a week - is your goal of 30 pounds by march even realistic?
Instead, commit to habits that will help you achieve your goals. Unsure of what that looks like? Reach out to a professional and get their feedback and advice, and then set a daily or weekly commitment for the New Year.
Maybe it’s saving $100 a week (That’s $5200 by the end of the year), exercising 4 times a week for 45 minutes, or eating better by starting with a healthy breakfast 6 days a week. When you commit to a habit, you’re more likely to achieve your “goal” in the long run than you are simply by setting a “goal”.
“A goal is just a wish until you have a plan”
Track Your Success:
Tracking your commitment will increase your chance of success. There is nothing better than seeing that you successfully saved the money, crushed your workouts, or started your day with a lean breakfast 6/7 days over the last week.
Use a chart, journal, an app, or whatever it takes for you to track your success.
Pro Tip: Find a group you can join to share your commitments and celebrate your successes with others. Not only will it help you stay accountable, it will keep you more motivated and celebrating your success with others increases rates of achievement and happiness. Click here to join my private Ladies Success Group on Facebook and be surrounded and celebrated by other inspirational ladies.
Change the Way You Think About Success and Failure
Too often people give up on their goals because they back-track, get embarrassed or frustrated, and give up altogether. You need to be able to reframe the way you think when you slip up.
Some people slip up, beat themselves up about it, and become more motivated; yet can fall into a perfectionism trap - when they do good, they are good - setting themselves up for obsession, selfishness, and fear or failure or criticism. Meanwhile, others slip up, beat themselves up about it, and eventually give up because the pain of failing is too much to endure, so they slip back into their old easy and comfortable habits, giving up on their desires altogether.
A missed commitment is not the end of the world, it’s a reality; it happened and you cannot change it. You can only change your behaviour in the next moment, and every one after that. You do not have to wait for the next day, taking the rest of the day as an excuse (“I already ate a cookie, so what’s 3 more…”), but using it as a learning opportunity, giving yourself grace, and re-committing to your commitment that very moment.
Hire a Coach to Keep You Accountable
There is no faster path to success than having someone in your corner who has already gone before you. They will share their knowledge and expertise, setting you up for the same success without making the same mistakes. A coach will keep you accountable, provide you with guidance and tools to succeed, and help you overcome the self defeating thoughts and patterns that have held you back from success in the past.
To set women up for success this New Year, I am running a 5 Steps to Success in 2019 free masterclass training. Click here to register for the training and learn how to set yourself up for success, take control of your nutrition, exercise, and mental well being this year.
So, as you consider your resolutions over the next few days in preparation for the New Year, reframe your goals into commitments, create an action plan, and commit to the BEST year yet. After all, the only thing that stops you from achieving your New Year’s Resolution… is you!
As always, my greatest hope with my writing and teachings are to inspire you to make real and radical changes in your life to live with greater confidence, courage, and more happiness. I would love to connect with you during my upcoming masterclass. Click here to register - I can’t wait to support you!