Every New Year’s Eve I join the millions of people around the globe who set new goals for the new year. Goal setting is an active part of my daily life and this time of the year is no exception! I’m looking forward to the year ahead and working hard to make sure I set myself up for success in every way possible. Over the years I’ve noticed a few things that help me stick to my goals and resolutions. 

1. BE SPECIFIC

It’s easy to come up with lofty plans for what we want to accomplish in a year, but I find the more broad I am, the less likely I am to get the results I really want. Instead of aiming: “To get in better shape” I narrow it down and resolve to “Run 10km in less than 1 hour.” It gives you something more specific to work toward and a more measurable success. 

2. SET DEADLINES

It’s easy to launch off full force in January with the best of intentions, but staying motivated is another story. Set weekly or monthly deadlines to track your success all year. If you want to run 10km in less than 1 hour by the end of the year, consider aiming to run 1 km without stopping by the end of January, 2 km in February, 3 by March, and so on. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t meet a deadline; it’s never to late to adjust your plan and refocus. 

3. KEEP  IT VISIBLE

Tape it to your bathroom mirror, make it your desktop background or lock screen, or set a reminder alarm every day or every week. Keeping your goals visible helps to keep them at the forefront of your mind. If you find you’re overlooking the reminders you set, change them up every month. After the first week you may start to ignore the alarm reminders. If that happens find something else you can do that’s more effective. Keep changing it up!

What are your goals for 2015?