The New Year is almost here meaning it’s time to set a few personal and professional goals. Statistics show that only about 20 percent of us achieve our resolutions. Here is how to set yourself up for success.
Personalize Your Goal
Most resolutions are generic—get healthier, lose weight, save more money, pay off debt, etc. This year personalize your goals making them specific to you. So, instead of “get healthy” pinpoint your areas of opportunity. This might be your sweet tooth, 3 sodas a day, love of fast food, lack of sleep, high blood pressure, high-stress job, or unhealthy habits.
Create A Realistic And Measurable Plan
One of the top reasons resolutions fail is because they are too extreme. So, start small creating a measurable plan with incremental milestones. For example, if you always wake up tired, you set a bedtime, upgrade your mattress and pillow, ban electronics from the bedroom, invest in a sunlight alarm clock, and create a signature bedtime routine. If you do this all at once, it will feel overwhelming—so begin with one or two and add on one or two more in February.
Finally, you must create a system for accountability. Something that keeps you in check. This could be as simple as adding automated daily or weekly reminders to your calendar.
