Did you know that 95% of New Year’s resolutions are abandoned by the second week of January? We all have good intentions to make changes in our lives, professionally and personally, yet seem to place enormous pressure on ourselves with the continual “new year, new me” mantra. As the first weeks of the year pass, we have often already slipped back into old ways and thoughts of career development or personal improvement seem to fade into the background.
It is unsurprising. After the quiet reflective time of Christmas passes, we are met with a return to work and a barrage of messages from social media and advertising, telling us why to change our lives and how to do it “easily”. “Buy this pack of vitamins and you will leap out of bed” or “join this gym and look like a model”.
The truth is, we don’t need a change of calendar date to change ourselves – it can happen at anytime. So let’s start by removing some of the pressure. All you really need to make change is commitment and a plan. As a development coach I work with many people who identify a need to change their job, find their purpose or follow their dreams. The trouble is often they don’t know where to begin and lose motivation to even try.
Did you also know:
- 80% of people don’t create goals
- 16% don’t write them down
- 3% do write them down 1% write them down, regularly review them, and are amongst the highest achievers.
Below, I offer my recommended plan for meeting your goals, whatever they may be. Let’s aim to be in that 1% with a little help from Dickson Lewis.
Identify Your Goal(s)
The two main motivating factors to help change your life are fear and pleasure. Once you work out what you want to change and, equally as importantly, why, set out a realistic goal deadline. I believe the question ‘why’ is vitally important. It helps change our mindsets and stay resolute. How do I get a new job? We can work on that. Why do you want a new job? Do you feel stagnant? Undervalued or unfulfilled? Your existing job is under threat or changing? By understanding the desire for change, you are adding an extra layer of motivation.
To better understand the “why”, spend time writing down all the reasons you want to change. Then, really think about how change will make you feel. What will happen when you achieve your goals? What will it sound and look like? When we have a true purpose, we wake up early, stay up late, push through obstacles and defy all the odds to make it happen. So, take another look at your resolutions and be realistic; what’s your ‘why’ and is it strong enough to make change happen?
Break it Down
Once you have identified your goals and motivation for change, it is important to set a deadline, but remember not to put too much pressure on yourself. Deciding to lose loads of pounds in a month is admirable but possibly not sustainable. Think to yourself, when do I want to achieve my goal by? A birthday? Summer? The end of the year? Keep that end date firm in your mind and commit to it by writing it down.
From there, work backwards. Break your timeline into chunks. By March, your goal progression will look like this. By August, it will be 50% completed, and so forth. Make sure to regularly check in with yourself and if goal progression slips, don’t worry – tomorrow is a new day.
Stay Accountable
Only you can make the change you want in your life but having support always helps. Often, writing a goal down is the first step we need, but bravely sharing your commitment with others helps you stay true to yourself. Hopefully you have a great group of friends and family around you. Let them know the changes you are looking to make and ask for their support. Work together, motivate each other and be there for each other.
Change comes by doing what you can, when you can. Remember, something is better than nothing. Every day you are one step closer to making change a reality. You just need commitment and a plan. Your future self will thank you.
Find out more about our career development programme.