The start of a new year is the perfect time to reevaluate how you approach goal setting. Setting goals is easy. The hard part is following through on them. Most professional goals are challenging. They involve hard work and dedication. So how can you keep yourself motivated? Here are some tips to follow through on your 2020 goals.
Be Consistent
The key to following through on a goal is consistency. Work on the steps toward your goal every day. Not only will this help turn it into a habit, it will give you with momentum. One way to approach this is with a calendar. Each day, when you make progress on your goal, put a red X through the date. The further you go into the year, the harder it will be to stop. When you see the long chain of crossed out dates, you won’t want to break the chain. It seems simple but having a visual representation of your accomplishments is powerful. Seeing that you’re making progress on your goal every day will motivate you to continue.
Connect with Others Who Have Similar Goals
Look to friends and coworkers for support. Some of them have likely set yearly goals that are similar to your own. It is much easier to follow through on goals when you have people to support you and hold you accountable. Finding trusted friends to keep you honest can make the experience more fun. Schedule lunch dates to discuss the progress made toward goals or plan an outing together when you hit important milestones on the way to your end goal.
Use Self-Knowledge
You won’t follow through with goals if you don’t select those that you have the ability to accomplish and strategies that play to your strengths. Reaching a challenging goal always requires some sacrifice. When setting goals, make sure you consider what those sacrifices will be. For example, the goal you set might require you to work longer hours. Are you willing to sacrifice your work-life balance? Don’t pick a goal if you know you don’t have the will to make the necessary compromises. You also want to play to your strengths. If your goal is to be more organized, don’t plan time in your schedule to work on organization in the morning if you know you’re not a morning person. Think about what time of the day you have the most energy and focus.
Many of us make goals for ourselves every January. Fewer of us follow through with them. Usually, adjustments aren’t made to build the momentum necessary to achieve them. Selecting attainable goals that you genuinely care about, being consistent with your progress, and building in accountability can all make it easier to follow through on your goals in 2020.
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