Another year is drawing to a close. Whilst you are busy with the last preparations for Christmas and New Year celebrations, like organising lunches or dinners or looking for gifts, maybe you are also starting to think about what next year has in store for you.
Although there are many things we cannot control and though we cannot not foresee everything that might happen, we may very well decide how to use our precious time. And this will help us to influence to a good extent what will happen to us. Because we will be actively taking the reins of our life.
The good resolutions
When a year ends and a new one begins, many of us make good resolutions for the next year. Things we want to or think we ought to achieve and do.
But how many of us do make those resolutions a reality?
That good resolutions just stay at that can be due to different reasons. Maybe we do not have a good reason or motivation which really convinces us. Or because we do not turn the resolutions into real objectives and plans.
How to turn good resolutions into objectives
Whilst a resolution is the intention of doing something, the objective results from a series of aims and action. A good objective can be determined and specified with the SMART model:
Specific: An objective ought to be concrete, so that any person, you might explain it to, will understand what you want to achieve. Ask yourself what you want to accomplish and why; i.e. what is your specific reason and purpose and what are the benefits.
Measurable: Our aim should be somehow quantifiable in order for us to have yardstick to assess the level of achievement of our objective.
Achievable: If we set ourselves unreachable objectives we run the risk of giving up. Therefore our target should mean a challenge but be attainable.
Realistic: In line with the previous point, our objective ought to be realistic within our possibilities, resources and our motivation to achieve it.
Timely: Although it may be complicated at times, if we want to reach an objective, we need to establish a time frame. Giving ourselves a deadline, we will be able to set up the different stages to reach towards our objective.
But before thinking about your objectives for next year, I will suggest a few steps to motivate yourself and learn from your experience thus far.
Review the year coming to an end
Therefore, the step I recommend is to go over what has happened this year. Think about all you have accomplished, all you have learned, everything thrilling and inspiring you have lived. Also remember things that could have gone better and what you have learned from them. Think whether you could have done anything different in order to obtain a better result.
On one hand you will remember more consciously everything you have experienced throughout the year. On the other hand you might be surprised by everything that has occurred and that you have done. Additionally your achievements and learnings will motivate you towards the next year and your new or reviewed objectives.
Reexamine your values and what is most important in your life
Before determining new objectives, I suggest you reflect upon what you most value in your life. Think which are the most important aspects you wish to take care of and dedicate more time to. Once we are clear about our values and life priorities and the more time and effort we dedicate them, the more satisfied we will feel with our life. It is useful to get everything down in writing. That way you are able to refer to it from time to time during the year and check whether our objectives and actions are still in line with our values and priorities.
Objectives for the new year
Once you have reviewed the year that is ending and are clear about what is most important to you, it is time to reflect upon your objectives for the next year. What do you want to achieve and do? What will allow you to live in accordance with your values?
Here, I also recommend you to write your objectives down. Robin Sharma suggests in his book “The monk who sold his Ferrari” that we have around sixty thousand thoughts during a day. To have our objectives in writing will help our mind to recognise thoughts directed at the objectives as more important than the rest and consequently focus our energy towards them.
When deciding your main objectives take into account the necessary actions to accomplish them and how time they require. Therefore do not set yourself too many goals in order realistically have possibilities to reach them and thus avoid frustrations.
Following the SMART model, specify your objectives. That is, determine what you want to achieve in order to consider the goals as accomplished. What is the desired outcome and by when you want to reach it.
The importance of the why
In order to maintain the focus on our objectives and the motivation to work on them, it is important to have good and well-founded reasons. This does not mean your reason ought to be complex. Only that for you they are sufficiently good to motivate yourself. The why we want to reach certain objectives will be very related to the values and priorities we have determined for ourselves.
Congruence of your objectives with your values
Further to posing objectives in accordance with your values, also take into account that they do not contradict or undermine each other. Let us say, for example, you wish to improve professionally but also want to dedicate more time to your family. Then set the corresponding objectives so that the professional improvement does not hinder having more time for your family. Rather try and look for a balance between both.
Specify the desired outcome and necessary actions
Once you have decided your objectives, consider which steps you ought to take in order to achieve them. It is helpful to put the steps in writing as well, in order to further specify your objectives and become aware of the required actions. There may be objectives where you know all the steps to take. But there may be other where you will only be able to determine the first necessary step. When we are talking about something we have never done, it is difficult to draw a detailed plan. But only deciding on the next step approaching you to your objective will help you commit to your goal and avoid the feeling of overwhelm of not knowing where to start.
Distribute the objectives and associated actions
Do not intend to do everything at once and immediately. Remember that the year has 365 days. Otherwise you will run the risk of to run out of steam and motivation quickly. So, based on your obligations and the time and frequency the actions destined at achieving your objectives require, distribute your goals throughout the year.
In case of acquiring new habit, remember that it takes about one to two months to really incorporate one into your routine. But the year has twelve months. So you may form six to twelve new habits the next year, which is not bad at all.
Set up little goals and celebrate your achievements
Further to determining the required actions to reach your objectives, it is also helpful to set up intermediate stages. Our goals and projects will be more digestible if we notice the progress we make. That is why the SMART model suggests that a good objective be measurable. That way we can define small goals toward our objective. And every time you reach a stage, I suggest you take a halt to celebrate the achievement. This may be simply taking a moment to congratulate yourself or award yourself somehow. Or share the excitement of the achievement with somebody. The matter is to help you maintain the motivation and eagerness to continue towards your objective.
You do not have to do it alone
In order to keep up the motivation it can be helpful to feel accountable. This can be articulated in different ways. One may be to share your objectives, or some of them, with family or friends so you feel pushed to make progress with your goals and be able to share it with them.
Another way is teamwork. If you decide to improve your shape for example, you might want to look for a friend, family member or colleague to do sports with and hence encourage each other.
If one of your objectives is to learn something new, but you have a hard time doing it alone, you may want to look for a study group.
Depending on your objective and your way of being, just decide which is the best way to feel “accompanied” on the trip towards your objective.
Be flexible
As John Lennon said in his song “Beautiful Boy” “Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans”.
Throughout the year many things can happen and even our priorities may change. Therefore I suggest you do not hang on too much to your objectives. Be prepared to modify them, adapt them to your circumstances or even renounce to them. Do not consider it a failure. Remember that your objectives should be aligned with your values and priorities. So if your priorities change, it can be appropriate to review your goals.
Enjoy the trip
Last but not least, and even if you have your sights set on achieving your objectives, remember to enjoy the trip. Live the present moment and each minute you dedicate to the important things in your life. Time is our most precious asset and we cannot repeat the moments lived.
Moreover there are objectives where the trip is already a part of the desired outcome. Let us say for example that your resolution is to reduce negative stress in your life. First convert the wish into a real objective. Determine what exactly that means for you, what your reason and motivation is to work towards this goal and what your desired outcome is. Then decide which actions and behaviours you ought to incorporate into your life. Each new habit you acquire to counteract stress, will approach you to your desired result but the new habits and actions per se, that is the trip, will already help you to enjoy your life more and get stressed less.
Prepared for the next year?
I wish you all the best for the year to come. May you manage to accomplish your objectives in order to live accordingly to your values and priorities. If the SMART model does not seem enough for your to reach your goals, you might want to try the WOOP method. Happy New Year!
