How to stay on track with your goals?

So we’ve talked for a few weeks about goals & setting yourself up for a great 2016.  To me, goal setting is the fun part.  Who doesn’t like to sit down & think about and write out all the things they want to happen in the future??  But then, comes the next part….. the work…  How do you keep yourself accountable and work toward your goals after the first week?

There are statistics everywhere you look that say that people abandon New Year’s resolutions with the month of January.  People make the same goals each year because they didn’t follow through the previous year.  This has happened to me before, it has probably happened to you too.

I wish I had the magic answer, but alas, I am still human, so I want to talk about what might be helpful.

My first recommendation is that while you are setting your goals, you should also set your plan for following up on them.  Accountability is always a key driver here.  There are a lot of different ways to keep yourself accountable, so think about what system may work for you.  Some ideas I have are:

• Every Monday review your goals as you start the week & make a plan to do a few small things to make progress towards your goal
• If you have a really big goal, map out a breakdown so you can track it.  Like if you want to plan a huge trip or lose 20 pounds, neither can be accomplished in one week, so break it down.  This will help you to start in the first place and will help you be able to track yourself in the second place
• Write your goals and post them somewhere you will see them!  On the computer screen, on the refrigerator, on the bathroom mirror so you see them when you are getting ready etc.
• Find a partner-in-crime (probably not your spouse - some research says they let you off the hook too easy) to do the activity with you. If you want to write – find a writing partner.   
• Follow someone else’s footsteps.  If you want to do something new, find someone who has done that & ask them a million questions.  If you want to find a new job, start talking to people who have found new jobs, or find ones who are in your dream job.
• Have a more official review every quarter.  If things have changed, reassess and alter the plan vs. throwing it away!  Life happens, so you can make adjustments!
• Pay someone!  If you have had an issue with something, find an expert and pay them to help you.  Putting your hard-earned cold-hard cash on the line is often a good way to incentivize you!
• Do something bold!  There is a high you get by doing something you were afraid of or thought was not possible, but do it and appreciate the feeling!

My second recommendation is to accept going in that you are not going to take a direct path to your goal.  You may map out a perfect linear plan to get from point A to point B.  There is a 99% chance it will not work that way.  So try to relax! (I know pot, meet kettle) but enjoy the journey and do not fall off the trail in the corner because there was a detour.

So as you sit down to think about your next year, a few things that will help you set up for an even better 2016.  Take as much time setting up your plan or system to track your goals as you do thinking about your goals.  The old adage of what gets measured gets done can be true in your own life too - let's use this to our advantage!

What are your tracking systems?  Share with us or email me here, so we can shamelessly test them for ourselves!

Looking forward to a great new year!!

Life in the Green Room