By Neil Phillips.

It’s nearly the end of the first quarter. How’s it going? How are you doing on your goals? You did write them down, didn’t you?

Every year between Christmas and New Year’s Day, I reflect on the past year and think about what I want in the next year. Most years, I write down some pretty specific goals. I always have great intentions about following through, making sure that I review my goals daily.

Then it happens, life….. I push the snooze button one time too many; I schedule an early morning meeting…. family stuff shows up unexpectedly. And it’s gone… my discipline and follow through with it.

I have discovered that just writing down my goals makes a difference. When I return a year later, I am amazed to see that some things were accomplished and then…. there are the ones that seem to show up every year. You know, getting healthy, losing weight, calling three people a day….

The bad part about setting and not accomplishing goals is that it makes me feel bad. How about you? Do you ever beat up on yourself when you miss out on a goal?

After many years of repeating this pattern, I discovered three important secrets that work for you and me, the imperfect goal setters.

  1. Look at what it costs to achieve your goal. Put your goal to the SMART goal test. Does your new goal require you to sacrifice or give up something? Are you prepared to do it? Set a goal, you have a good chance of accomplishing; stretch a bit, just not so much that it becomes impossible.
  2. Take time to pick ONE goal at a time. Select ONE new habit that will lead you toward that goal. Drinking 12 oz. of water I first get up is one I began last fall. I start my day with a healthy habit, and that causes me to feel like a success. Pick one thing and then stick to it until it becomes a habit. In Jack Canfield’s The Success Principles, he talks about adding one new pattern each quarter. Now that I CAN do it!
  3. Give yourself some grace. So what if you messed up yesterday? Start over today. So what if you didn’t call three people yesterday? Celebrate that you called ONE and start over with your intention. I like to ask myself, “What CAN I do today?”

Here’s the thing, if you begin to build small successes and achieve goals, even if they are tiny ones, you will strengthen your goal-setting and discipline muscles. Each new habit will build momentum toward your goal. By taking time to establish each behavior as a new habit, you won’t backslide!

Just imagine what December 31st, 2023, will feel like when you can say, “I did it!” I set SMART, realistic goals, and I did it! I moved forward. Now that is something to celebrate on New Year’s Eve!

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