We often start the year with a pledge to make the new year great by trying to change something we felt returned poor results the year prior. Sometimes we set goals and sometimes we set resolutions and sometimes we choose a word of the year. And often within a few weeks the reality of the hardness of trying to change sets in and we loose the consistency of our actions, the resolve of our desires, and then even the idea of changing starts to fade.
How do we get the results that we want, then?
I have spent a lot of time studying goal setting and building new habits and I have found out that discipline by itself is seldom strong enough to keep us in our new habits. Whether we have thought about them or not, there are reasons why we are doing the things that are bringing poor results and not doing the things that would bring better ones. Oftentimes we require facing ourselves and employing multiple tools to stay on track.
One key tool I use is to keep my new habits and my goals fresh in my mind. This can take a lot of forms. Personally, I read or rewrite my goals once a week. I have seen people save their goals to their phone background or computer desk top. Some people create posters and hang them on their walls. I have even heard of people reminding themselves of a goal every time they cross through a doorway!
The best advice I have ever received when it comes to starting to work on a new goal or develop a new habit is "Be prepared for no one to notice." Starting a diet or a new habit of reading daily might be a pivotal moment in your life, but most results come slowly and people may not notice the results for a long time.
As I understood this, my view of goals changed. No longer do I feel the need for perfection, but rather consistency. I want to log as many hours and put in as many days as possible... And missing a day here and there isn't going to change the outcome. My current philosophy is to start something, be consistent, and be better in a year. That gives me plenty of time to work out the struggles that will inevitably arise when starting something new.
When I continuously remember my goals and work on them a little bit every day, I know that the little changes that come will add up to big changes in the coming months or years. I know that I can and will be better in a year.
What are your goals for 2024? How are you remembering your goals? What are you doing each day to get closer to your goals?