The beginning of a new year brings many of us to embrace setting goals and making plans with great gusto. We develop plans for our business, set personal goals for our health and make resolutions about money … all with the very best intentions.
Setting Goals is Only the Beginning:
According to one survey, 68% of people set goals at the beginning of every year; only 8% of those people succeed in achieving those goals. Why? I believe it’s because we don’t address what it is that needs to change to make our goals a reality.
Setting goals is only the beginning. Setting strategy to meet those goals is the next step, and clarity about what must change to make that happen is essential.
Different Results Require Different Actions:
Change doesn’t have to be big. Small changes can bring big results. Change can mean intentionally stopping something or purposefully delegating something. But, if you want a different result, it will require change.
Einstein’s famous quote: “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Learning New Habits is Hard:
M.J. Ryan’s book ‘This Year I Will … How to Finally Change a Habit, Keep a Resolution, or Make a Dream Come True’ shares the tools, inspiration and insights needed to help create the new habits you need to meet your goals.
No matter how small or large your goals are, they require learning new habits and making change. Achieving the success you want is not going to be a quick-fix. It’s a journey and always a difficult one.
There is a good reason it’s difficult. Despite what you may think, it is not simply that you are weak, unfocused and have no self-discipline. Your brain works to keep your bad habits in front of mind and therefore it’s extremely difficult to get rid of. It seems our brains become “hard wired” to old habits. You need to create and build new behaviours to help your brain grow new pathways.
Building Those New Behaviours:
‘This Year I Will’ is divided into five parts outlining how best to build those new behaviours. Each part has practical exercises and a summary.
- Prepare to Change: Whoever thought you had to prepare for change?
- Get into Action: On your mark, get set, GO!
- Keep on Going: The tough part!
- Keep Your Promise: Twelve tips to keep your promise to yourself.
- Maintain Conscious Self Creation: You are what you let yourself be.
M.J. Ryan tells her own personal stories and shares inspiring quotes and insights all to provide the direction and motivation you need to muster up the energy, determination and aspiration to sustain all your good intentions.
Robin Sharma put it perfectly: “Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end.”
I encourage you to take sometime to consider what changes you need to make this year to achieve the results you want in 2025.
