The Secret to Achieving Your New Year Goals

Instead of making a New Year’s resolutions that you’ll probably forget by the second week, why not make more specific New Year goals and create a plan to take action and accomplish them?

I’m a firm believer in implementing changes in your life real-time and as needed versus waiting for the New Year. But there’s something about the New Year that makes you feel like you get a fresh start at your life.

This post is meant to help you reflect on your year and create New Year’s Goals for 2020 that you’ll actually accomplish. I’m going to share the secret way to set goals more effectively and actually accomplish them.

Before we get started, why not apply what you read right away?

 

Reflect on Your Year

Get a piece of paper or open your notepad and answer the following questions about this year:

1. • What did you like? What didn’t you like?
   • What were your learning lessons?
   • How have you changed/grown and who did you become?
   • What new beliefs and values have you developed?
   • What did fear hold you back from doing?
   • Where are you feeling stuck?
   • What would you like to change in 2020?

Overall, if you aren’t happy with how the year turned out, ask yourself why.

Did you know what you wanted? Did you have a goal you were working toward? I ask because sometimes when you’re not working toward something you feel like you’re just existing/drifting about with no purpose.

What mistakes did you make and how do you think you can fix it for the new year? What new year goals can you make to bring you closer to where you want to be?… to the person you want to be?

The biggest mistake people make when setting goals for the New Year is not reflecting on the current year.

If you want to do better in the New Year, you have to know what went wrong this year, and figure out a solution to avoid it in the New Year. If you just blindly make goals without taking accountability, you’re bound to be disappointed in the New Year!

 

Design Your New Year

Now that you’ve answered these important questions, create your new year goals.

Think holistically first. Define the kind of life you want for yourself and the person you need to be to become it, then get specific.

I’m currently reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and he stresses this point. The book advises you to get very specific with your goals and what you want and also talks about the most important principles that will help you achieve them.

Start to brainstorm on another piece of paper. Write down a list of things you want to accomplish in the new year. When you’re done, start to plan; get specific.

For example, one of my goals is to become pescatarian and start eating healthier foods. This is a general idea. In order to accomplish that goal, I have to get specific. I need to have a plan.

So what I’ve done so far is make an excel spreadsheet of foods I can and can’t eat, and I’ve been taking note of pescatarian recipes (for breakfast, dinner, etc) from online.

Now that I actually got specific and started planning my meals, I’m more likely to accomplish this goal.

This is what I mean, get specific. Come up with an actual plan versus engaging in wishful thinking.

In the next point, I discuss a tool that could help you with your goal setting and planning.

 

How to Actually Achieve Your New Year Goals

Write Your Goals & Thoughts Down.

It’s important to actually write your goals down in a journal versus keeping it in your head.

That way you can look back on your old journal entries and track your progress or reflect. Keeping everything inside your head won’t work. You need to be able to record your goals and look at them every day. 

If you aren’t sure what your goals are, write your thoughts down in the meantime and you’ll naturally get some ideas of what you want to accomplish.

Make this journal personal and private to you, but hold yourself accountable for the goals you set out for yourself.

 

Related:
The REAL Reason Why You Struggle with Time Management & 4 Ways to Fix it

 

Set SMART Goals

Now that you’re organized and have a foundation ready, it’s time to create your goals – but not just any goals – SMART goals.

One very important tip for setting SMART goals is to make it personal.

Assess your values and think about what’s important to you and make goals based on that, rather than getting ideas from Google or “New Years Resolution Ideas” posts. Make your goals personal to you so you’re more motivated to achieve them.

 

Remember Your Why

If you haven’t already, I’d recommend reading Millionaire Success Habits by Dean Graziosi. In his book, he talked about the 7 Levels Deep exercise where you basically ask someone their “why” until you arrive at the true reason that motivates them to want more in life

Saying “because I want to make $1 million a year” isn’t enough. Dive further and ask yourself why to every response until you’ve asked why 7 times.

I mention this because it’s not enough to create a goal of becoming successful without knowing your why. Things are definitely going to get tough along the way and if you don’t keep your why in mind, you’ll give up easily.

You need to understand what is truly motivating you to remain focused and excel despite the circumstances you’ll encounter.

 

Track Your Progress

Remember when I said you need to record your goals? Well, this is one of the reasons why. You need to be able to track your progress of accomplishing your goals.

That way, if something isn’t working out, you can pivot and try a new method. Similarly, if you are making progress, then not only should you continue doing what you are doing, but this also motivates you because you feel closer to achieving your goal.

 

Your greatest ally for goal setting

What I’ve found to be a tremendous push when I need motivation is reading personal development books. I’ve read about 5 books in the past few months (plan on reading more) and they always have the best advice.

I’d highly recommend reading self-help/development books if your personal growth is a priority. If you have big goals like I do, you need to remain focus to accomplish them.

You can accomplish anything you want in 2020. The only person that can stand in your way is you.

 

Whether you think you can or think you can’t; you are right.

Henry Ford

 

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