A new decade is upon us! The reality is your New Year plans don’t start on January 1st. Instead, they can start right now. Get prepared to hit the ground running, and say hello to your best self with the help of these seven strategies.
1. Reflect on the previous year
You can’t move forward until you’ve first looked back to see how far you’ve come. That’s what reflection is all about. It’s developing the self-awareness that helps you consolidate everything you’ve done and learned in the past 12 months.
If you jump straight into next-step planning, you’ll miss out on all the insights and knowledge the past 12 months have gifted you. In turn, you’re more likely to make needless mistakes, move forward slowly, and even make the wrong decisions.
Reflection is a skill promoted and practiced by some of the world’s top performers and athletes. They know it ensures you learn from your mistakes and make better choices and decisions in the future. Discover how to reflect on 2019 in this article [worksheet included].
2. DON’T set New Year’s resolutions!
If you do nothing else after reading this article, this is the tip to pick!
According to science, 92% of people never achieve their New Year’s Resolutions. That’s right; this is a goal-setting strategy that will set you up for failure. The problem with New Year’s Resolutions is that they’re too vague. For example, I want to lose weight, I want to start a business, or I want to write a book.
These resolutions don’t hold you to account for your results because there’s no deadline and no specificity. If you lack clarity, it’s all too easy to stay in the status quo. After all, we’re creatures of habit and given a chance we’ll revert to what we know [and where we feel comfortable].
So this year, set SMART goals instead of New Year’s resolutions. It’s the most effective way to set yourself up for success.
3. Plan your roadmap
It’s risky business to leave your New Year plans to chance. Despite your best intentions, when your time feels short, and other priorities demand your attention, it’s all too easy to procrastinate on your goals.
A planner will help you manage your time and your priorities – so you move the needle consistently on what matters most.
Use your planner to map out your day with the same diligence and detail that you budget your money.
Schedule tasks in the same way you would appointments – to ensure you optimize the time it takes to do everything on your to-do list.
When time feels as if it’s on your side, it’s easier to work smarter [not harder], so you can accomplish more.
4. Aim for work-life harmony
It’s tempting to put all your time and energy into one specific goal.
But true happiness comes from feeling fulfilled in all areas of your life. Work-life harmony means success in your relationships, your finances, your health, and your hobbies – as well as your career/business.
When your work gets the best of you, it’s easy to let other areas slip.
But you can push back against this trend through daily 10-minute practices. For example:
- Schedule a regular walk/run/yoga class
- Commit to a 10-minute meditation [Headspace has a free course to get you started]
- Make time for an in-depth conversation with your partner or your children with the help of the Intimacy and Little Talk Decks, respectively.
- Increase your knowledge and skills through reading or by listening to a podcast
Small daily actions soon compound into something meaningful.
5. Tick through your bucket list
We all have a list of things we’d love to do at some point in our lives. But how many of those bucket list items have you planned to do?
At some point, there won’t be ‘time’, or you won’t have the energy or health.
Don’t leave things to chance. Instead, choose some bucket list items that you’ll achieve in 2020 and make them happen.
- Figure out the budget needed to pay for them.
- Schedule time on your Universal Wall Calendar.
- Decide what preparation is necessary and plan it.
Imagine how you’ll feel this time next year knowing you achieved some life goals?
Best of all, with these checked off, as well as a host of incredible memories, you’ll also create space to add new experiences and adventures to your bucket list.
[Need the inspiration to add to your Bucket List? We’ve got you covered with these 103 ideas.]
6. Use self-reflection to hold yourself accountable
Life is unpredictable! You never quite know what’s around the corner. Your best-laid plans can face disruption – even if you write them into your planner.
Self-reflection is a powerful practice that can help you differentiate between the things you can’t control and the things you can. By reflecting on your daily performance and approach, you can see where you’ve been procrastinating vs fire-fighting.
Your best self requires you to stay committed to your path – and that’s not always easy. Doubts will creep in and leaving your comfort zone can send you into a tailspin.
When you hold yourself to account through your reflection practice, it’s easier to differentiate between excuses and reality. Discover how to reflect with the help of this article.
7. Write down your wins
Your big-thinking goals are going to push you out of your comfort zone. There’s no doubt about that. Things can get hairy when you’re thriving in discomfort. Doubts and fears can hold you back and make you question yourself. Before you know it, you’ve become stagnant!
The good news is there’s a super simple way you can inspire yourself to keep moving – even when you don’t want to, and even when the path ahead feels too hard.
Make it a habit to write down your wins every day – no matter how small.
Over time, you’ll create a catalog of successes, which you can refer back to anytime self-doubt creeps in. When you have proof that you’ve done it before, you’ll find it easier to believe that you can step up again.
Ready to make 2020 an incredible year?
With the help of these seven tips and techniques to kick-start your plans, you can mastermind your best decade yet. You’ve got this!
Want to take this a step further?
Escape your comfort zone with the Courage Over Comfort Deck of 150 daily challenges to help you grow out of your comfort zone and get you that much closer to the goal you just set for the year.
