HR Snapshot #17: Revisiting your 2020 Goals - all is not lost if you have you failed already!

First, how do you pick a resolution? 

Resolutions are always things that we want to change about ourselves when comparing yourself to others. Who has made this benchmark, and is this the right thing for you to focus on? In a word no. And who said 1st January was the best time to make those goals, anyway? We berate ourselves by looking at our negatives, our perceived failings, rather than look at what is happening for you right now, and recognising is it the best time for you to make changes, if not, then that in itself is a great outcome, and you should allow yourself the moment of happiness at this realisation. 

 

If the time is right, then read on. 

 

We sometimes forget to understand that a resolution should make you feel a bit uncomfortable or scared, but at the same time excited. A great way to think about is, what do I want my life to be like going into 2021, or with this being the start of a shiny new decade at the end of 2030? Take time to visualise this, feel it, see it and really think about it. If really visualizing is tough, then it may not be the right thing for you to focus on so again, another positive. You should be able to see in your mind what this change will mean. 

 

How to set them 

Take a moment to build awareness of what your strengths are. As human beings we are great at knowing our weaknesses, as this is our natural state, however knowing your strengths can be far more empowering to understand how you will achieve your success. What are you really great at? 

 

Resolutions need ‘smart goals. They need to be really specific. If someone says, ‘I want to exercise more’, this in its self is not concrete enough for the subconscious to recognise what you need to do. In order for this to happen, decide what you will do in the short term, you will struggle to achieve 5 hours a week of gym workouts when you currently don’t have the time for any so give yourself an interim goal of going for 2 hours a week and then build it up slowly and the end goal will come about far easier over time. 

 

Keep it going 

Consistency is key, so make every habit you’re building a daily habit. Now, some habits aren’t meant to be done every day, but you can transform any habit into a daily habit by using a placeholder habit. For instance, if your resolution is to go to the gym 3 days a week, you can turn that into a daily habit by doing 2 minutes of pushups and sit-ups on the other 4 days a week, at the same time you normally go to the gym. 

 

Celebrate your success 

Recognise when you are doing well, and allow yourself to celebrate this. By setting short time frames to have a check-in with how you are doing allows you to keep on track of your changes, and recognising what you are doing that is contributing to your change, conversely, it allows you a moment to celebrate which spurs you on to the next level. 

 

Failure is good 

Plan for failure. You will experience setbacks. Plan for what you will do in the setback so then when it happens you have the ability to accept it and change your behaviour, if you don’t achieve your goals all the time is that okay, if not what can be changed to allow the choices to be different ? 

In summary, if the 1st January came and went, and you haven’t yet found the right resolution or goal for the upcoming year, it’s not too late. After all, the presidency of Barack Obama began at noon EST on January 20, 2009 – a cold, grey Tuesday morning! Maybe the end of the month – with a whole 11 months of 2020 left for you to act – might be the right time for you (and your business) to create those goals.