Make small goals and get set for success in 2019
THE problem with resolutions, says success coach Jody Shield (jodyshield.co.uk), is the magnitude of the task means you’re often primed for failure. Here, Jody says setting micro goals, instead of mammoth resolutions, might be the key to real, positive change.
BREAK IT DOWN INTO SMALL CHUNKS
THE main problem with resolutions is a big list of huge changes can be overwhelming. When you’re thinking about the year, Jody says it’s better to drill down resolutions into achievable goals you can put a deliverable date on.
“It’s very easy to get overwhelmed and give up,” she says, “especially if we are trying to completely reset ourselves in a major way. Something I’ve found that works really well is asking yourself, ‘What’s one thing I can change and implement right now?’ Our self-limiting beliefs often trip us up before we’ve even got started so we need to break the vision down into digestible pieces.”
DON’T BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF
RATHER than thinking, ‘This year I need to stop smoking’, a goal could be, ‘I’m going to give up smoking for three months and put the saved money towards a holiday.’
“Major changes can be scary and fear is such a huge stumbling block. That’s why we need to completely re-frame the picture.”
JODY’S TOP TIPS...
1. Write down the things you love Start by making a list of the things you love doing and aim for at least 10. Be very specific. 2. Spider diagram the areas that you’re not happy with
“A great exercise is drawing a spider diagram with the areas of your life coming off it, such as work, home and relationships,” says Jody. “Rate each area out of 10 and then you can focus on those that make you most unhappy.” 3. Visualise where you want to be a year from now
Where would you be living? Who would you be with? What would your dream existence look like? 4. Set your goals
Now set a list of 10 measurable and manageable goals to tackle over the next year. Add a date to each. Start with the shortest deadline and work through the list in chronological fashion.