How to Succeed in Your New Year’s Goals

In Weight Watchers, they have a saying, “Keep Your Why Close By.” Having a strong “why” makes it possible to overcome any “how.”

Write down what motivates you to achieve your dream and revisit it often to keep it on the top of your mind.

I have a saying I’d like to share. “Ducks in a row, is a no go.”

Often times we delay committing to a goal because we think, “well, the timing’s not perfect and I don’t have a crystal-clear game plan yet, but maybe when I do, then…”

The trouble is, “then” never comes. We say things like “yeah, but…” and then never get started.

Get off your “but” and get started today. You’ll figure it out along the way!

Gym memberships, personal trainers, exercise equipment, etc. They aren’t cheap! Still, the more you spend (time and money) towards a goal, the more likely you will be to achieve it.

If you truly want to achieve any goal in life, don’t be afraid to invest in yourself. The more invested you are, the more likely you will be to succeed.

When we think of the word “sabotage” we usually think of it with a negative connotation. In fact, sabotage literally means “to obstruct.” Yet, there are many strategies we can use to obstruct ourselves from making poor decisions.

For example, say you’d like to eat better. Then one of the most important steps is limiting access to junk food.

If you have a choice between driving three miles to the nearest Sheetz, only to wait in line, to buy junk food, then to drive three miles back home, OR to more easily just to eat the carrots, hummus, or Greek yogurt already accessible in your fridge, you’ll make the easier.

Make the better choice, the easier choice.

The fact is, you can’t have too much support. Think about all the great athletes of our time. For me, I think of Lebron James. I don’t know Lebron personally, but I imagine he has a coach, an assistant coach, a shooting coach, a nutritionist, a physical trainer, a massage therapist, and millions of fans cheering him on.

In my mind, you can’t have too much support, but here the key: It’s your job to find it! Support is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength.

One of my favorite saying is “what you measure gets improved.” My smart watch is excellent at this. It measures all my active minutes and calories burnt throughout the day. This is wonderful because I can see my stats every time I look at my watch. It gives me a rewarding feeling of dopamine when I’m doing well and encourages me to do more. And when I’m slacking, I can’t avoid the feeling of guilt that lets me know I need to get things back on track.

Even for those of us bold enough to set a New Year’s Resolution, most of us won’t tell people our New Year’s goals. We’re afraid to do so. We think, “If I tell people my goals, and I fail, I’ll feel embarrassed.” In many ways, this approach makes sense. It protects us from feeling pain. The trouble is, with no accountability, it’s much easier to let our goals slip by the way.

As scary as it may be, I try to tell everyone I can my goals. It helps keep me accountable. When I tell my friend Howard I’ll meet him at the park at 7 am, he becomes my accountability partner. Together, we’re stronger and better off (and more likely to show up) that either of us would be if left to our own devices.

Goals don’t change people, routines do. This is why fad diets don’t work in the long term. It’s our routines that become our lifestyle, and it’s our lifestyle that determines our long-term health and happiness.

A healthy routine makes our long-term goals a reality.

“Someday is not a real goal.” A goal that doesn’t have a time frame is unlikely to get accomplished. When a goal is time bound it gives us a sense of urgency that increases productivity. It’s the positive pressure of having a deadline that will drive you to stay focused and on track.

We all fall off the horse at times, the question is, how quickly are you willing to get back up?

Whenever you start to feel defeated, rather than quit, double down on one of the previous 9 strategies.

In conclusion, it doesn’t matter if you want to lose weight, run a business, or publish your first novel, all of these principles can apply to whatever goal it is that you want to achieve.

My hope is that by using these 10 principles of goal setting, you make begin to make your dreams a reality as well.

#mentalfitness