Around this time millions of us around the globe will be making New Years Resolutions, setting goals – and millions more will simply wishing and hoping hope for the year ahead. More often than not those goals to stop smoking, change career, cut out drinking, loose weight, adopt new habits, improve relationships have often fallen by the wayside within weeks. Often this is because we do not set goals holistically, strategically, sustainably, meaningfully and with the support and mindset that’s needed.
This article includes my new 5 Tips together with my set of short, succinct videos to help you get the best out of the year and yourself.
Why most goals /New Years Resolutions don’t work
Rasheed Ogunlaru’s 5 Step Guide to goals / New Years Resolutions that work
1) Making space: One of the first things I do when working with many clients and the first section of my coach yourself video is all about making space. This is very simple you may already have a busy life and busy mind and you cannot pour more water into a full cup without causing a spillage. You need to create space in order to make headway.
2) Strategic / holistic / meaningful: Step one is to set goals that are strategic and holistic. Too often we set isolated goals to stop this or stop that without looking at your life as a whole. If you are going to set goals you it’s wise to set goals in the context of your entire life and the key areas within it: a) yourself personally and your health / wellbeing b) your career or business c) your relationships / home / social life. You will also need to be strategic as if you are setting challenging personal, professional or health goals you’ll probably need a plan of action and it’s wise that that plan as flexible as there may be internal and external factors that may scupper a plan that is too fixed that you may be unaware of when you start.
Don’t set the goals that everyone else is or that friends, family, magazines or well-meaning others say that you should set. You need to step back and ask yourself what is most important to you. You are the captain of your ship. Things will progress once you are really committed to them and once you take full responsibility for you life, career and relationships. Depending on your scope, scale and nature of goal it may be wiser that you set a 2, 3 or 5 year goal rather than just a year one.
3) Sustainable / manageable steps: You’ll hear lots of talk about achieving this or that within a week, month or a few days. It’s no surprise that a plan that you make to achieve something within a week or month will unravel within a few weeks or months. You need to committed to your goals for the long run. Especially if you are setting things like health, relationship and career goals – these things require constant work and attention. It’s also important that you break those goals into simple steps and break tasks into manageable chunks. The bigger the goal the more important you break it into small steps. It’s also wise that you try and make the steps specific and that your track, review and measure your progress along the way.
4) Support: No one is an Island and if you’re struggling in life it may be that you don’t have the support, expertise or encouragement that you need. Know yourself: are you resourceful and a self starter? If so then maybe you can achieve your health, career and relationship goals by yourself. If you’re not it may be that you may want or benefit with working on your goals with a friend, expert advisor, mentor, fitness instruction, nutritionist, business partner, colleague, contact, boss, mentor or all the above and more depending on your goal(s).
5) Mindset / resourcefulness: Without the right mindset and you are unlikely to succeed or ever to believe that it is worth trying. You will need to be mindful, believe in your self, be open minded and yet focused at the same time. You will need to be resourceful and resilient. If you feel that you do not have these qualities then it will probably even more important that you get experienced or expert support to help you get started and help you along the way. You also need to be flexible. Life is not linear. It is important to know within this that life holds no guarantees. There are all sorts of internal and external factors that will impact on your success and progress. Life will not always deliver to you what you want, when and how you want it.
From Goals to Growth….
Life is not simply about goals, dreams and aspirations. Some dreams will come true and some will not. This would be the case even if you are a top athlete at your peak.There will be races that you win and some that you loose. The magic and real growth in life comes from understanding and appreciating this and using all of life’s ups and downs to truly grow.
Join me live online on 16 Jan: 2014 Goals & going with the flow
Join myself, Tum kazunga and our special guest Kathy O’Hara at 7pm UK time (2pm EST) on Thurs 16 January for ‘2014: Goals & going with the flow’. We’ll be sharing tips on setting meaningful goals, resolutions and also exploring the importance of going with the flow. To join in just bookmark this page and join us then.
More help / keen to coach yourself?: In which case you may find my Become who You are Coach Yourself Video which you can find along with my books, audio talks and resources here in my shop.
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About Rasheed
Rasheed Ogunlaru is a leading life coach, motivational speaker and business / corporate coach. His clients include entrepreneurs, entertainers, organisations, teachers, healers, high achievers and the public. He is author of Soul Trader -Putting the Heart Back into Your Business, The Gift of Inner Success and the Become who You are Coach Yourself video. He is also founder of the free self development reserve EvolvedHeart.com
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