Are you already thinking about the new year ahead? I am. I’m one of those who doesn’t wait till January to make my resolutions and goals. I like to think about them in November and December so the moment the ball drops, I’m ready to kick off the new year strong.
I’ve also moved away from making goals for the year. A year is too long! And longer-term goals like, “I want to be worth $50 million in five years” are good, motivating, but can be overwhelming. You can change your life in just half a year. Here’s how:
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Set four goals.
Set a goal in each of the following areas: Financial, Health, Career, and Other. Most of us could use a money, health, and career boost. That leaves one miscellaneous goal—to travel somewhere, master a song on the piano, get a jump on learning a language, or buy a new car. The possibilities are endless. A good goal is something that you believe is possible but would be challenging. It should also make you feel excited when you think about achieving it.
Measure your current situation.
Understand where you’re starting. If you want to increase your savings account to $10,000, you’d best know your current balance. The same goes for your weight, if you’re trying to lose weight. If you want to run a 5-minute mile, how fast can you run a mile right now?
Create a plan.
Based on where you are, and where you want to go, what is a logical plan to get there? Remember that you have six months and plan accordingly. Do you need a new job? More education? Plan accordingly.
Set short-term goals.
It’s hard to stay focused on one big goal for six months—and it’s easy to procrastinate for the first four or five months! So set short-term goals that lead to your long-term goal. For each of your 6-month goals, set 60-day and 120-day goals.
Keep a journal.
Record your feelings, plans, ideas, results, and observations. You’ll get a kick out of looking back at your journal someday.
Measure your progress.
Regularly measure your progress. It’s important to know how you’re doing, so you can make adjustments.
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Be flexible in your approach.
You’re probably not going to create the perfect plan right out of the gate. There will be a lot of fine tuning along the way. Stick to your goals but be willing to change how you accomplish them.
It’s easy to fall into a routine that does little more than maintain your life. You can do better! Set a few goals now and work hard for just six months. In June you’ll be glad you did!
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