•Goals for 2012
Posted By janice on January 2, 2012
I always love the start of a new year. It’s a clean slate and a fresh start filled with possibilities.
This time of year, lots of us think about making resolutions, setting goals, and changing habits, and there are different approaches you can use to make changes you want to make.
Albert Einstein said insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. The one guarantee I can make is that if you do nothing, then nothing will change. Many times when I read the cartoon Dilbert, I think to myself, “Seriously, this guy needs to get a different job.”
The key is to make small changes that lead to big changes. If you’re a couch potato and want to exercise, you can’t jump into a six-day workout routine and expect to stick with it. Start with walking three days a week and work your way up. You are more likely to stick with it.
So if you want to change some part of your life, then you can make it happen. Here are a few ways to approach your goals for the new year.
Three Words. For the last couple of years, I began hearing about the idea of picking three words to describe your goals for the coming year, and I like the idea of using three words to help zero in on what you really want. Author and social media expert Chris Brogan picked his three words and encouraged his readers to post their own. Mine for this year are: Courage, Creativity, and
Health. I’ll explain my three words in another post.
Create Rituals. Tony Schwartz, author of The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working, encourages the use of rituals to help you reach your goals. If your goal is to exercise every morning, the ritual you could create around this goal is to pack your gym bag each night. If your goal is to eat better, make the decision to eat your lunch away from your desk so you can focus on your meal.
The 30 Day Challenge. A friend on Facebook posted this TED talk on trying something new for 30 days. It takes 27 days to create a habit so 30 days is a good amount of time to devote creating a new habit. Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, adopted a similar tactic in her book, and she devoted a month to pursue a new adventure. On her website, check out information she has on creating your own Happiness Group and tackle what Rubin cleverly calls your “pigeons of discontent.”
What are your goals for the coming year?
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