January is traditionally a month for setting goals. We often start out with resolutions born in December, decided on the spur-of-the-moment or in the heat of disgust with our failures in one or more areas of our lives. We firmly vow to do better in the New Year. Unfortunately many of us fall back on old doubts and old behaviors within a few short weeks. We chastise ourselves and our brains start delivering negative messages about our inability to change. Sometimes we square our shoulders and “promise” to start over next week, or next month. But somehow it doesn’t happen.
Merriam-Webster defines the word goal as “the end toward which effort is directed.” The first step then would be to determine our “end.” This can be a place we want to be at a certain point in our lives, an achievement we want to claim, or an event we want to attend. You decide. (and yes, you can have multiple “ends.”) It’s a good idea to write goals out in longhand and phrase them in a positive manner. Freelance writer Angela Booth offers us one way to set goals for ourselves. Another technique uses the SMART mnemonic.
Step two on the road to goal achievement is – dare I say it? – a good, swift kick in the attitude. Productivity coach Dave Navarro tells it like it is. I’m still reeling from his refreshing honesty, which jolted me out of my long-held habit of procrastinating in posting to this blog.
Step three is both simple and difficult. Change. If what you’re doing isn’t producing the results you want, do something different. Change your attitude and your actions. Of course, you can do it! All it takes is the willingness to move forward. Now off you go.
