2024 - New Year, New Goals: A Simple Plan for Achieving Your Goals!

Happy New Year! As we begin the new year, many of us reflect on the past year (sometimes years, LOL) and set intentions for the new year and or the future. Whether it's improving our health, advancing our careers, strengthening our relationships, or learning a new skill - we all have aspirations that we hope to realize in the months ahead. However, setting goals is just the first step - the real challenge is taking actions to turn those goals into reality.

In this article, we'll explore practical strategies for achieving your goals. I suggest you read the previous post on goal setting for a refresher on some of the strategies we discussed there. So if you're looking to make meaningful progress in 2024 and beyond, read on for some tips on how to turn your aspirations into accomplishments!

Make it a daily habit: If you have a goal that is long term (like learning a new skill, losing weight or saving money), make sure to schedule actions to achieve it every single day. You don't have to do all the work in one sitting; just get started and keep going until it's done. For example, if you want to upskill, set aside at least 15 minutes every day for reading or taking a course. That doesn't seem like much, but it adds up over time. The key is to make sure that you're doing something every day toward your goal—even if it's just reading a few chapters of that book or taking a 15 minute walk around the block.

Daily habits also help to establish a routine and create a sense of structure, which can be especially helpful if you have a lot of competing priorities. In addition, daily habits can help to build momentum and create a sense of forward movement. When you take small, consistent steps towards your goals every day, it can help to build confidence and motivation, which can in turn help to keep you motivated and on track.

Make it visible: You know what they say—out of sight, out of mind. One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is that they don't actually write down their goals and keep them visible. If you have a goal, write it down and put it somewhere where you'll see it every day. This serves two purposes: First, it makes your goal more concrete by giving your brain something to focus on. Second, having a physical reminder of what you want will help motivate you to achieve it.

Just having goals isn’t enough. You have to keep them visible! If your goal is just sitting in a notebook or just in your mind, then chances are the reminder to achieve it won't come up as often as it should—and without regular reminders and attention, it's easy for goals to slip through the cracks (or even just get lost entirely). It could be as simple as a post-it note on the fridge or a picture of something related to your goal sitting on your work desk.?

Make time to celebrate small successes: It's really easy when setting goals to think only about the final outcome and forget about all of the little steps along the way that will get you there.? But those small successes are what make your goal possible. You can't skip ahead to enjoy the outcome — you have to enjoy each step along the way as well.?

If you set a goal of increasing your client base by 50% in six months, celebrate each new client as a success. If all you focus on is 50% new clients, it starts to feel daunting and you might start to feel like you're spinning your wheels and making no progress. When we focus on celebrating these small successes instead of just thinking about how far away our final goal is, we're much less likely to give up when things don't go exactly according to plan.?

It's also helpful to set milestones (this is where a timeline comes in handy), so that you can celebrate each step toward your final outcome.

Make self-care a priority: We're all working hard to meet deadlines, keep up with our responsibilities, and get ahead of the game. But when you feel like you can't even breathe because everything is pressing down on you, it's time to take a step back and ensure your health and wellbeing aren’t being neglected.?

Whether it's an hour to yourself to decompress or a 30 minute nap in the middle of the day (my favorite self care activity!), make sure you take it on your own terms and don’t feel guilty about it. It's important to take care of yourself so that you can take care of everything else!?

Turning aspirations into accomplishments in the new year is about more than just setting goals. It’s about developing daily habits that support your goals, celebrating small successes along the way, and making self-care a priority. Additionally, placing your goals within sight can serve as a constant reminder of what you are working towards, helping to keep you focused and motivated.

Remember to be patient and kind to yourself, as progress takes time and there will inevitably be setbacks along the way. But if you can stay focused on your goals and develop a supportive daily routine, you will be able to make progress towards accomplishing them. So, keep these steps in mind and let's make this year one of growth, accomplishment, and success!

What are your goals for 2024?

What do you want to accomplish in the next three months?

And how will you know when you've reached them?

I love to help plan goals - reach out if I can support you!

Dr. Rubina F. Malik is a strategic advisor and thought leader. As a champion of ESG, sustainability and leadership development, she is an expert in helping organizations create strategies to enhance the engagement, retention, and promotion of diverse candidates. Competitive edge-driving organizations from start-ups to 500 global enterprises depend on her guidance to propel programs centered on mentoring, career sponsorship, and leadership development, cementing her reputation as an invaluable catalyst for professional growth and organizational success. www.rubinafmalik.com