Make This Year Great: Tips to Achieve Your Goals for the New Year

Wow! Can you believe 2017 is gone and done? Well, it is and before you know it, 2018 will be halfway over. But I think this is the best time to reflect on the past year and whether you’ve accomplished all of your goals. If you haven’t, what are you planning to do differently as we start a new year?

What works for me is setting goals and writing them down somewhere. Whether my goal is to lose weight, learn a new skill, hit a new target or spend more time with family, I write it down. This makes it more likely that I’ll remember and achieve my goals.

The American Psychological Association also suggests starting small and working on one thing at a time. So it’s a good idea to prioritize and start with what’s most important to you. Plus, starting small will keep you from being overwhelmed.

Also, I have to say telling others about my goals really motivates me. When I share my goals with others, they help hold me accountable. So either I find myself working to accomplish my goals or looking for ways to avoid the people I told about them until I’m more focused. Either way, having a support person or team moves me to action.

Another strategy for achieving goals is visualizing yourself accomplishing them. This is a method that many athletes and competitors use. And I can’t think of people more determined or goal-oriented than athletes.  Having a positive attitude and visualizing success can help you stay the course and believe your desired end-result is possible. This is a strategy that I’ll be using more often.

These are just some of the strategies that I believe can help you achieve your goals in business or your personal life. What about you? What helps you reach your goals?