2020 has been an eventful year to say the least. And 2021 is so uncertain that I see a lot of people “winging it” and not making plans. Plans change, but without plans we will surely fail.
So how do you dominate 2021, when we don’t know what 2021 holds? It is definitely possible, with a bit of effort, to end 2021 better than you started! Here how:
Set Goals
I know this is cliché, we set goals for the next year over New Years. But this time it is reasonable. We need to know what we want to achieve; otherwise, how will we know how we did?
Set SMART goals (Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Time Based) to help you succeed. Sit down with a notebook and make a list of what you want to achieve, from fitness, learnings, studying, job wise, financially and even relationship wise. All these form part of your life and it is important to set goals for these parts of your life.
Write those goals down
As I said to sit down with a notebook, writing goals down is vital to the success of them. And I will be honest to say that I am bad at this part. But when I have written them down, I have seen much better results.
What I have found useful is to get a book that you write down all your ideas, goals, fears, thoughts, etc. This will help you channel your thoughts.
Writing goals down will give you a sense of accountability that you won’t receive from just thinking about them.
Don’t rely on yourself
If you rely on yourself too much, you will fail. I hate to be blunt, but its true. You are human, you will be impacted and have mood swings. SO, if you rely on yourself to spend time reading or transfer money into your savings account you will give up by March.
Instead, set accountability and rewards for sticking to your plan. Mark time out in your calendar to achieve your goals, as you would for work you know you will be scolded for if you don’t finish.
Have small goals too
I have big dreams. So, it is natural that I have BIG GOALS. But big goals can be motivating and overwhelming. And without smaller goals to help you reach your larger goals you will run out of steam.
Lesson in this? Set small goals that help you achieve a great goal. For example, if you want to run 5kms, start by running around the block. Then week 2 go for 1 km. And after a month get to 5 kms. As many people have said, “Motivation is overrated, Habits will make you successful.”
Even though we are tired from getting through 2020, lets make 2021 one to remember. By setting goals, as cliché as it may be, lets make big goals with smaller ones to get us there! And lets automate them to make sure we don’t fail on a bad day, as consistency is what will help us succeed.
It’s the start of a new century, lets make it count.