Ever wonder how some people manage to achieve their goals or yearly resolutions while so many others fail?  Believe it or not, the answer is quite simple.   Those who manage to successfully achieve their annual goals/resolutions have a few tricks up their sleeves that help them meet their goals.  Those “tricks” are the subject of this blog.  Check them out and begin putting them into practice today so that you too can meet with successful goal achievement this year too!

Top Tip #1 - Pick just one or two things to focus on at a time and then make them SMART.

            We often get carried away and have a whole long list of goals for the coming year.  That list isn’t feasible, nor is it realistic.  It is much better to choose one or two goals to focus on.  If you finish them before December, that’s great!  You can begin another one or two goals at that point if you want. 

            Secondly, make the goals you do choose SMART ones.  Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.  SMART goals can be achieved…non-SMART goals often cannot be.  Don’t just say you want to lose weight.  Say you want to lose 15 lbs. by summer.  Specific, measurable, and time-bound right off the bat.  Then just check in with yourself to make sure it is relevant for you (and do you really want it) as well as is it achievable.  If you aren’t planning to make any lifestyles changes (diet or exercise, for example), then 15lbs by summer may not be achievable.  You must be real and honest with yourself when setting goals.  Get this step right and you are well on your way to success!

Top Tip #2 - Small steps (break them down)

            This is a top tip because when we skip this step, we often never get around to doing the things we need to do to reach our goals.  Let’s take that weight loss example from above.  If you want to lose 15 lbs. by summer, then you have about 5 months to do that (roughly January to May).  That’s about 3 lbs. per month.  Sounds easy enough, right?  But how will you lose those 3 lbs.  Just saying you will lose those lbs. isn’t enough (if it was the entire diet industry would go out of business tomorrow!!).

            You must break it down even more.  What will you do each day and/or each week to lose those 3 lbs. per month?  You can’t expect to lose the weight doing what you have always done.  What food choices will you change?  What movement will you add in?  Will you work on improving your sleep since that impacts weight loss?  You have to decide what small steps you will take. 

For example, sticking with our weight loss example, maybe in the first two weeks you focus on increasing your sleep to 7 hours minimum per night and then during the next two weeks you remove all processed foods from your diet.  Then during the next month you focus on getting at least 10,000 steps per day and cutting back on carbs and sugars.  And as you progress and lose some of the weight you can keep working on these areas you have identified.  Again, this is just one example, but you get the general idea.  Break it down to the granular (daily/weekly) level.

Top Tip #3 - Schedule it and set reminders.

            Nothing happens on its own.  If you plan to move more, then you have to schedule time to go to the gym, a yoga class, a walk or run, etc.  If it something you normally don’t do now, it is essential that it shows up on your calendar and that you set reminders…otherwise your old habits will rule and those new habits will fail.  Set yourself up for success from the start – plan and prepare so there are no excuses and no room for failure.

Top Tip #4 - Get an accountability partner.

            And when scheduling it and setting reminders aren’t enough, having someone acting as your accountability partner can be a lifesaver.  On those days when you just don’t want to go to the gym, or eat your veggies, or read the book, or skip the McDonald’s fries, etc., having someone to remind you of your why and encouraging you to keep going can make all the difference.

            Your accountability partner may be someone in your household, a work colleague, a neighbor, or a close friend.  Whoever it is, make sure it is someone who will hold you accountable and not enable you to skip, cheat, or drop your goals.

Top Tip #5 - Periodic check-ins…revamp, change, etc. as needed.

            Life is a moving target.  Things constantly change so your goals in January may not meet your needs come August.  Or conversely, you might fall of the wagon, so to speak, by April.  By conducting periodic check-ins with yourself you can restart if you have fallen off, rework goals if they have become less relevant, revamp those small steps if they aren’t working, etc.  This is an equally critical step to achieve those goals.

Top Tip #6 – Forgiveness.

         And lastly, if/when you find you have failed in some aspect of your goal achievement, forgive yourself.  It happens to all of us at some point, and often it is for reasons beyond our immediate control.  What we can control though is how we forgive ourselves, dust ourselves off, and begin again.  Maybe with the same goal, maybe with a new one.  But begin again we must. 

The bottom line is keep trying.  Through grace, forgiveness, and following these top tips, you CAN achieve your goals!  Namaste.