10 Tips to achieve your 2021 Goals

As the end of the year approaches a lot of people decide on “New Year resolutions or goals”. And then sometimes the revelry of holiday season gets the better of them and whilst the intentions are there , the drive to implement them begins to fade . Hopefully you are now back to work and are ready to get started on implementing what you set out to do in 2021. 

According to an article published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, only 46% of people who make New Year’s resolutions are successful. That means over half of the people who set a goal for the new year will fail!

Surely you would like to be part of those who wish to succeed. Read on and find how you can achieve your goals in 2021

Some common goals are , Exercise more, Lose weight, Quit smoking, Get organised, Learn a new skill or hobby , Save more money ,Spend more time with family and friends, Read more ,Live life to the fullest etc .

What are your goals ? Are they truly yours or nice things to do .To help you achieve your goals here are 10 suggestions.

1) Focus on your deeper values

The personal beliefs and hopes that deeply matter to you have a key role in sustaining your motivational impetus and keeping you focused. Invest in time to find what truly matters and resonates with your soul.

2) Set “NEW” resolutions

This is preferable to recycling those from 2020 or earlier. If you still want to pursue a resolution from earlier years , try to be more specific in your approach this time.

3) Set specific plans

Setting SMART goals helps , but to implement them you should account for factors such as time, place and people. Specific plans provide the mental cues needed to stick to our goals.

E.g. .I will walk for at least 30 minutes in the park with my friend Ram on Tuesday , Thursday and Sat evenings .

It already sets a framework that provides plenty of mental cues and strategies on which to follow up. Also, including another person in the plan helps you get an accountability partner and is better than a vague resolution such as:

I’ll go on more walks this year.

4) Focus on your deeper values

The personal beliefs and hopes that deeply matter to you have a key role in sustaining your motivational impetus and keeping you focused. Invest in time to find what truly matters and resonates with your soul.

5) Reward small gains along the way

Enjoying small progress gains is not only pleasurable, it will also help to motivate you. Sometimes we are very harsh with ourselves and never give ourselves credit for making progress. 

6) Set Goals you want to pursue, rather than those you think you should

Research consistently shows pursuing freely chosen goals that are internally motivated enhances well-being.

Meanwhile, goals that are externally motivated are associated with psychological distress and are less likely to be achieved.

Examples of external motivation include doing something because the situation demands it, because it might please someone else, or to avoid shame or guilt that may arise if it isn’t done.

7) Be fixed on goal but be flexible on how to get there

If your resolution isn’t working for you, reset it or adjust it to make it more meaningful and/or achievable. You know what works best for you . Be fixed on your goal as far as you can but be flexible in your approach to get there .If a method does not work , think of what else will help you achieve your goal.

8) Be realistic and break your goals to smaller milestones

The more realistic your resolution is, the more achievable it will be and the less likely you are to set yourself up for failure. Yes goals that stretch you are great , but also require great commitment. Are you ready for the sacrifice ? Are you motivated enough ? Sometimes a goal looks too large or difficult to achieve. Break a larger goal into smaller goals or steps to be achieved. When you build the confidence by achieving smaller milestones you get motivated

9) Learn from past failures

Instead of engaging in self-criticism and negative self-evaluation, a positive attitude towards failed resolutions can help you do better next time. Be honest with yourself and evaluate what you could have done to make it happen

10) Get a Coach

No I am not referring to just anyone who thinks it’s fashionable to call themselves a coach .I am referring to a trained and certified coach who is much more than an accountability partner. A coach who has been trained to understand and uncover what your true motivations are and is able to keep you on your path.

If you would like to be amongst the 5 people who will be coached for FREE on your New Year goals please comment on what resonated with you in the article or a challenge you are facing in goal achievement and then email me with your contacts on [email protected] or inbox me on Linked in

Mudit Saxena is a Mindfulness Expert and Leadership Coach . He is a certified John Mattone Coach ( coach to Steve jobs ) . As a C Suite leader for over 3 decades in 5 countries he helps individuals and organisations become the best version of themselves.