Habits

  The month of December is a great time to finish your 2020 goals and begin to prepare, project, and forecast for the coming year. The next 31 days can have a profound impact on the way you start 2021. This year has been incredibly weird on so many levels. If you are feeling discouraged as you reflect on 2020, this might be the time to start making a change. Reaching your goals will require purposeful effort to align your daily actions with the goals you hope to accomplish next year and beyond. Here are four ways to ensure that your daily habits align with your goals. 

 1. " Dream it":  We can become so busy that we never carve out time to think intentionally about our future and dream about what we want to accomplish or pursue in life. Without this first step, it is easy to quit when times get hard or never even get started in the first place. Dreaming about a possible future helps you focus on the final prize or reward that you truly desire. Allowing the dream to take root in your heart creates passion that just might be the thing that keeps you going when faced with obstacles down the road. 

 2. "Plan it":  Part of planning for the future is predicting what challenges will arise as you start to work toward accomplishing your dream. One of my favorite speakers, Craig Groeschel, says, "Why resist a temptation tomorrow if you have the power to eliminate it today?". Identify obstacles that prevent you from accomplishing your goals or tempt you to get side tracked-- then create a game plan to overcome those obstacles. Write them down, review them regularly, and stick with your plan!  

3. "Accountability & Feedback": Proverbs 15:22 says, " Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisors they succeed." It is wise to have people in your corner who can point out your blind spots and hold you accountable to staying focused on your mission while maintaining your integrity. Allowing those people to give you honest feedback is also key in honing your skills and accomplishing your goals. Constant, small course corrections will help you stay on the right trajectory. 

4. "Attack it": At the end of the day, no one can show up and do the work for you. Once you have planned out your desired path and have equipped yourself with a team of supportive people who are willing to help you grow, it is up to you to go for it! Many people want the finished product without doing the work, but unfortunately, it doesn't work that way; it takes hard work and even some failures along the way. Make a commitment to follow through with something in the month of December that will allow you to keep moving forward in 2021!

About the Author: Alex Demczak is a former SEC quarterback, Author of Thrive U, and Motivational speaker. Alex challenges businesses, schools, sports teams, and non-profits to maximize their potential and make a difference. Alex is currently booking virtual workshops, one on one coaching, and in person speaking engagements for 2020-2021. You can follow Alex on Instagram at @AlexDemczak or connect with him at www.AlexSpeaking.com