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It’s a new year, which means you have set several goals and resolutions for yourself—both personally and professionally. Now that you’re a month into the new year, how are you doing with those resolutions? According to Forbes, more than 40 percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, but University of Scranton research suggests that just eight percent of people achieve their New Year’s goals.
These statistics may sound discouraging, but the truth is, most Americans fail to achieve their goals because they don’t implement any strategies to accomplish them. Although it takes a lot of willpower, there are some simple tips you can start practicing right now to make those goals seem much more attainable.
Consider these strategies to achieve both your personal and professional resolutions this year.
1. Break them up into small, digestible bites. You may have a personal goal to lose 10 pounds and a professional goal to make more sales calls this year than you did last year. These things take time. So, set some short-term behavioral goals—what will you achieve this week? Perhaps you will run three miles and call on 50 prospects. Remember, when you add up all of the small things, big things start to happen.
2. Go back to the basics. Most people lose weight when they change their diets to include only those things found in nature. Meats, fruits, vegetables, and oats—these are organic things with no artificial sweeteners or chemicals. When it comes to your professional goals, be real and genuine with people. Purity goes a long way, whether you’re building a healthier body or stronger relationships.
3. Remind yourself how much you have accomplished. It can be easy to focus on the negative and think about how far you still have to go to achieve your goals, but focus on the good. Did you lose one pound? Did you convert one prospect into a customer? Good for you! You might have nine more pounds to lose and 49 more conversations to make, but don’t dwell on that. Track your progress and praise yourself for the things you did accomplish.
4. Share and celebrate your success. Share weekly updates about your success, whether it’s with a spouse, colleague, manager or friend. Did you eliminate potato chips from your diet for an entire week? Your wife would love to hear that. Did you add thousands of dollars’ worth of revenue to your company this month? Tell your boss. Social approval and positive reinforcement can only help your willpower.
Goal setting is easy, but actually achieving those goals requires willpower, self-control and discipline. Don’t set yourself up for failure this year. Instead, try to use some of these strategies to help you achieve your goals, one milestone at a time.
Do you have any tips for sticking to your New Year’s resolutions? Join the conversation by tweeting us @PointOneRecruit today.
