As I write this, we almost made it through the (apparently) most depressing part of the year. 2016 is behind us and, according to research, almost all of our New Year resolutions have already been abandoned. How then can we refocus, become energised and commit to the task of making 2017 our best year yet, however, we may define it?
Here I share a few ideas to help get into the right mindset and begin the forward motion to success. I hope you find them useful and wish you every success this year.
#1 – Belief
It all starts with believing in the possibilities the year has for you and appreciating that the only thing holding us back is our own limiting beliefs. If we can change our beliefs, we can change our outcomes. There is a mindset shift which needs to take place and this may not be easy but if we can change our limiting beliefs into liberating truths we can operate from a place where our best is still ahead of us. In an honest appraisal of yourself, write down the 3-5 limiting beliefs that are holding you back. Now, replace those limiting beliefs with liberating truths and you have begun your journey to success.
#2 – Make Peace with the Past
The past does not equal the future but in order to move forward, we have to make peace with the past so it doesn’t sabotage our future plans. This is about fully acknowledging what happened, learning from the experience and committing to adjust our behaviour to improve. Also, what were the things you were most proud of that we can build on? Without bringing closure on the past it will cast its shadow into the future.
#3 – Setting Goals
Yes, we’ve heard this one before but it is still amazing how rare this is. Not only setting goals but if they are just written down there is a 42% greater chance of them being actually achieved. I think we all know how to write SMART goals so I won’t bore you with that. What I do want to say is that your goals should be stretching, even risky and they should excite you. If we set goals that are too low we are in danger of reaching them so we must stretch outside of our comfort zone for that is where the magic happens.
#4 Gaining Clarity on your Why
Goals in themselves will not propel us to success. We must have an emotional connection with why these goals are important to us in order for them to gain traction. Finding our motivations behind our goals is of paramount importance or they lose their potency and we lose our way.
#5 Commitment
Now is the time for commitment and action. Make the goals visible in your life, diarise activity and celebrate wins. It is in the middle where things can become messy and unclear that we need to build our fortitude and commitment to finish the task. This isn’t meant to be easy but if your goals are lofty enough and your motivations compelling then success is far more likely.
I wish you all the success in 2017 and hope that if you haven’t already planned your goals yet, this post will spur you on.
Bernard Page
25 years experience in marketing will help me quickly get under the skin of your marketing challenge and provide workable, commercial solutions for your organisation. I listen carefully and take the time to understand the critical issues and develop a personalised, honest response designed to drive enduring value at speed.
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