We all have wishes, goals, and things we want to do for the new year. So, what are your plans for the new year?
What are your goals? And most importantly, how are you making these plans?
- I want to quit smoking.
- I want to read 20 books.
- I want to save $10,000.
These are things almost everyone wants. But how many of us stick to these plans?
More than 90% of these plans are forgotten within the first month.
So, where are you going wrong? Would you like to stick to your plans and make this the year you finally change?
If so, let’s take a look at what you need to do when making your new year’s plans.
1. Become aware of your values:
If you don’t know your values, you won’t understand if you truly want something.
Your values reveal your priorities. And if your plans don’t align with your values, you’ll likely forget them by the first week.
Think about all your values:
- Are you passionate about freedom?
- Does your family mean everything to you?
- Are trust and honesty non-negotiable for you?
Write them all down and recognize your values.
2. Change your limiting beliefs:
Our beliefs are the building blocks that guide all our behaviors and actions.
Throughout our lives, we develop positive or negative beliefs based on our experiences.
Children who are always told, “You can’t do it” or “Stay out of it” grow up believing they are incapable.
If you don’t have the right beliefs, you can’t succeed. But the good news is, you can change the beliefs that holding you back.
Write down all your limiting beliefs one by one:
- I can’t do this at my age.
- I have no time to do anything.
- I don’t have enough resources.
Be honest with yourself. Write down everything that you keep repeating to yourself daily.
Then replace them with positive beliefs:
- I’ve had many experiences and feel capable of doing anything.
- I can dedicate my time to things I truly want.
- If I use my resources wisely, I can make progress.
Read all your new positive beliefs several times a day: on your way to work, before bed, during breaks…
It’s just like building muscle. The more you read them, the faster you internalize them.
I also recommend reading Dr. Bruce Lipton’s book “The Biology of Belief” to understand the impact of beliefs on our lives.
3. Create a new identity:
Ask yourself, “Who do I want to become?”
Who you want to be is more important than what you want to do.
You may want to quit smoking. But just saying “I want to quit smoking” won’t be enough.
Your mind will keep thinking about smoking in some way.
Instead, you can say, “I want to be someone who doesn’t smoke.”
You can define a new identity for yourself : “I am not someone who poisons himself by smoking.”
By doing this, your mind will prefer to see you as the identity you’ve defined. And it will stop wanting to think about smoking.
Just like with your beliefs, write down all the identities you want to define for yourself. And read these several times a day as well.
4- Your Goals and Actions:
Your new year goals should align with your values, and your actions should align with your goals.
In other words, you need to be completely in harmony with yourself.
You’ve set your goals based on your values… Now, to make them more measurable, you need to use clear and numerical expressions.
Remember: Clarity is Power!
“I will lose weight” is not a goal.
“I will lose 8 kilograms within 6 months and bring my body mass index to healthy level” is a goal.
Write down all the goals that come to your mind. Then, select the most important 20% of them for yourself.
Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many goals and actions. If you try to achieve all your goals, you’ll reinforce the belief of “I can’t do it.”
Remember: 80% of your results come from 20% of your actions.
Your goals may seem big at first. That’s why you need to break them into smaller parts.
My advice—as I do myself—is to set weekly actions. Weekly actions are easier to achieve and help you manage your time better.
5- Reward Yourself:
If you wait until you have achieved something great to reward yourself, it can create pressure.
Therefore you should reward yourself at regular intervals.
Note down how often you will measure your actions and how you will reward yourself.
If your mind knows what it will gain during small breaks, it will be easier to focus.
While measuring your actions, allow yourself some flexibility.
Remember: Discipline is not a straight line.
6- Don’t Try To Be Perfect, Focus on Progress:
The worst thing you can do to yourself is trying to be perfect.
Working with the same discipline every single day goes against the natural flow of life.
You might get sick, or urgent situations may arise. Don’t blame yourself for these.
Focusing on getting what you want perfectly will also put pressure on you.
It may even prevent you from recognizing much better opportunities that could arise along the way.
Another problem with perfectionism is that it might stop you from even starting.
If you’re waiting for the perfect time, all the resources, or ideal skills, your chances of taking action are zero.
So, just focus on progress and enjoy the process. If you are just one step ahead of the previous week, you are successful.
I just focus on what I am going to do and enjoy what I am doing. I leave the outcome to God.
I try to stay prepared for the opportunities He may present during the process.
And for the results I achieve, I allways ask, “How can I make this even better?”
Perfection is the lowest standard in the world. – TONY ROBBINS
Bonus: The Secret to Living is Giving!
Never forget to give in the new year. Even if you can’t help financially, share the experiences you’ve gained during this process.
You’ll help people who want to do what you’ve done but haven’t been able to.
You can enable them to make progress just like you.
Remember: Progress and growth are the most important keys to happiness in life.
By doing these things, you’ll enter the new year as someone free from limiting beliefs, with a new identity, clear goals, and openness to new opportunities.
I wish you all a happy new year filled with joy from what you do, continuous progress, and lots of giving!
Be full of energy! Believe in yourself! Live with passion!
Take care of yourself!
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