Let’s not get caught in the trap of believing that after the clock strikes midnight on January 1, that our lives will automatically reset and our new life will begin. Let’s also not get caught in the trap of believing that we will be in the proper frame of mind to execute on those goals we’ve been trying to tackle for so long.
The key to success for any goal is to first write it down and then plan it out. I have seen success after success since I started writing down my goals and the daily and weekly steps needed to get there.
Over the Summer in 2017, I started working with career coach, Michelle Nadon from Media Intelligence to help me find direction and prepare to re-enter Toronto’s job market. One of the first things she instructed me to do was to purchase a career journal and then start writing out my goals. Once I was clear on what I wanted to achieve, it was time to plan the things I was going to do every day and every week to meet the goal I set, within a specific time frame.
At the end of Fall 2017, I looked back on my short-term goals and realized that I had successfully executed 4 out of 5 and I was ready for more. There really is an energy that flows when you write down your goals, make a plan and stick to it.
Scripture says:
“Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” ~Habakkuk 2: 2-3
This Summer, I was introduced to the Dream Life Designer by Uchechi Ezurike-Bosse, author of From Aspiration to Fulfillment. The Dream Life Planner goes beyond just asking you to write and plan your goals however. The prompts at the beginning of each month give you an opportunity to reflect on what you did well in the previous month and the lessons learned. You’re also asked to write out your vision for the month and how and when you will reward yourself, when your goals are accomplished. At that point, it’s just a matter of scheduling your action steps day-by-day or week-by-week and voila! You’ve made major moves in accomplishing your goals.
The key, however, is to get started NOW! Another thing we tend to get caught up in, is waiting for the perfect day to start something new. How many of us fall victim to starting on Monday, or in the New Year, or after our next birthday, when we have no idea what obstacles await and often prevent us from getting started.
My advice to you, grab a notebook and/or a planner and start today. Write your goals, decide what it will take to get you there, make a plan to take those steps and stick to it…that is the most important part by the way. Getting started is easy because it’s fresh and new and exciting. But watch out for when you start getting bored or you’re not seeing the results you hoped for. Remember the scripture above said “though it tarry, wait for it because it will surely come.” It’s going to happen. You just need to prepare, be patient with yourself and push through. It may even be helpful to have an accountability partner to encourage you through those rough patches.
At the end of the day, the only thing standing in the way of you achieving your goals is you. The day you make up your mind to do something different is the day you make up your mind to live a new life. It’s in you. Now let it out.
