Seven Slippery Slopes To Avoid…

At the start of each year, many people set themselves goals for the year ahead. Have you set yours and, if so, how? Are they general ideas or something you’ve formulated carefully? According to a Japanese proverb: “Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.”

Here are seven slippery steps to avoid if you truly want to achieve your 2022 goals:

1. Having a vague idea
2. Keeping them in your head
3. Not having a clear start date, or end date
4. Failing to do the necessary research
5. Taking actions haphazardly
6. Being unclear about what to do first, and next
7. Not being accountable

1. Having a vague idea

One of the surest ways not to see the success of your goals is to have only a vague idea of what you want. Goals need to be crystal clear and that means being specific.

So many people start the year with general ideas of what they want, such as:

• Doing more exercise
• Losing weight
• Changing job
• Working less
• Having more me-time

Exercise

However, what does it mean, “do more exercise”? Without a specific target it can be hard to motivate yourself, or to know when you’ve achieved your goal. So, let’s look at how to build increasingly specific goals.

• I want to jog more
• I want to jog a minimum of three times a week
• I will jog Monday, Wednesday, & Friday, and on alternate Saturday mornings
• I will jog Monday, Wednesday, & Friday and alternate Saturday mornings for 30 minutes
• I will jog Monday, Wednesday, & Friday and on alternate Saturday mornings weeks for 30 minutes and in April I will increase to 45 minutes.
• Starting next Monday, I will jog every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and on Saturday morning on alternate weeks for 30 minutes each time and in April I will increase to 45 minutes.

Work life balance

• I want to work less
• I want to work less & stop taking calls in the evening
• I want to work less & stop taking calls & replying to emails after 6pm
• I want to work less, stop taking calls & replying to mails after 6pm, & inform colleagues of my working hours, starting on Monday next
• I want to work less, stop taking calls & replying to mails after 6pm, & inform colleagues of my working hours, chat more with friends & make a Me-time plan for my leisure activities starting on Monday next with a review after one month.

2. Keeping things in your head

Having ideas rattling around in your head isn’t the best way to achieve them. After all, if you were playing football or hockey, you won’t let the goal out of your sight for long. Keeping them only in your head can be stressful, and some may even get lost. It’s vital to write them down and put them somewhere you look at them regularly.

3. Not having a clear start date, or end date

Not putting a start date into your schedule, can mean no start at all. It’s a great contributor to procrastination. “I don’t feel like jogging today. I’ll start next week instead!” Then when the next week comes round, and it’s drizzling and cold…. Be sure to put your start date in your diary or schedule and reminder on your phone/laptop to alert you into action.

Jogging requires a start date, but perhaps not an end date, unless it’s directed towards a competition for example. eg “I want to be fit to run a half marathon on May 21st.” However, for many goals an end date is crucial to ensure it happens, to help you plan the steps along the way and to motivate you to get there.

4. Failing to do the necessary research

Not checking the feasibility of a goal, such as whether you have the necessary resources, finance, or people, can also put a spanner in the works. Ensure that you have the knowledge to get there, researching what’s involved, finding out where to build skills you need or where you can ask for or buy in the knowledge and skills needed to support you in the process when the end goal is more complex.

5. Taking actions haphazardly

Actioning the tasks that take you to your goal on an as and when basis, when you’re in the mood, is unlikely to get you to your goal very quickly. Make a clear plan, structure the timing, not only start and end dates, but milestones along the way of when you will action and complete the steps required to succeed.

6. Being unclear about what to do first, and next

People often have great ideas but are unclear about how to carry them out. List all the tasks it will take to achieve your goal. Then prioritise them, from 1 to 5 or 1 to 25 depending upon the size and value of your goal. Then map them on to your schedule and carry them out in the order you identify of urgency and importance. The same is true of your goals – prioritise your goals and prioritise the steps to reach each goal.

7. Not being accountable

You may be highly motivated, but even the most ambitious can find it hard to achieve entirely without support. Who can you turn to in order to encourage and support you, to mull things over with, to drive you when you’re flagging – a colleague, a friend, a family member, a mentor, a running companion, a slimming club, a business partner, someone in your professional field? Setting up support can make all the difference in ensuring you arrive at your destination.

Help is at hand!

Are you having trouble getting started or maintaining your momentum??Life coaching?can help you to define, maintain & achieve your resolutions, transforming ideas into achievable goals. To find out more or to arrange an appointment, please do?contact me.?