Kicking goals in 2016

It’s so close to the end of 2015 we can almost taste those Christmas trimmings! 2015 has been a big year all round – you should pat yourself on the back for all you have achieved this year.

But, remember that the New Year comes quickly on the heels of the party season. While it’s time to unwind, it’s also time to think about those New Year plans. 2015 was all about warming up and toning up your skills, 2016 is about blasting out of the gate ready to tackle the race head on.

Get ahead of the pack by taking charge of your New Year goals for your business and personal life. We’ve collated a New Year’s Goal Setting checklist for you to get ready in between Christmas and January 1^st.

Know what success will look like to you

Is it a promotion? Is it getting into shape? Is it about obtaining more skills? Success will look different to everyone. Know what yours looks like and have that image in your mind when you are thinking about your next steps.

Work out some specific steps to get there

Being rigidly focused about the end point on the road to success can blind you to the steps in between. By saying ‘I will become fitter by February’ you are not giving yourself enough opportunity to work towards clearly defined milestones. Instead, understand that the path to success is indeed a journey with specific steps. Be specific about what you want to achieve, but be more specific too about how you will progress towards your goal with definable actions and steps.

Know what benefits you will gain from achieving your specific goal

It could be that you wish to make a small change to your habits, or you may be looking to completely overhaul something about yourself or something in your life. However small or big the intended change, know precisely what benefits you will gain from making the change. Similarly, try to think positively about the changes you wish to make. Frame your goal in a positive way so it reads as something you’d like to add to your life, rather than something you’d like to take away.

Know that it will get tough

If you’ve thought through the previous steps you know that the distance between where you are now and where you want to be may seem immense. You are going to run into obstacles both internal and external on the way to realising your own vision of success. Be prepared for the days when you falter in achieving your steps along the way to success, but also know that tomorrow is indeed a whole new day to get back on track.

Design an environment open to your goal achievement

No matter how well intentioned your goal setting is, it can be difficult to integrate change if you underestimate the power your environment has over your success. Ensure you design your environment so it is not difficult to do what you resolved to do. Create a progress chart, have a cheer squad beside you and find a way to feel accountable for your actions towards your goal. If there are negative elements in your environment remove them as soon as possible, they will only continue to steer you off track.

Forgive what you perceive to be failures

You are not your setbacks or failures, so don’t allow them to define you. Let your determination and ability to visualise your success take you through when you don’t meet your mark on the way to your goal. If you do slip up, know that you aren’t on your own. Get back out there and keep making great strides toward your version of success.