Written by: Sonya Furlong, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
On January 1st, your social media feeds were likely filled with calls to create your resolutions for 2022 and change your life for good. While I love the idea of setting your intentions for the year ahead, unfortunately, it’s not enough to write down a goal and cross your fingers.
Studies show that only 8% of people meet their goals, and most don’t make it past the first month! In fact, January 12th has been identified by the University of Scranton as the fateful day that most people break their new-found commitments.
Successful goal setting is about creating a mindful strategy that incorporates planning, writing down your goals, developing habits that support your goals and being kept accountable by someone other than yourself.
Are you ready to set goals you will achieve in 2022? OK, let’s go!
First we begin by letting go of 2021.
2021, what a year! It’s one you might like to forget but hopefully you can look back on some positives that you can carry into this new year. Maybe your new home workout routine, regular Zoom calls with friends and family, a delicious banana bread recipe you’ve finally perfected, or simply being able to appreciate the things you have, instead of burning yourself out trying to get everything.
Firstly, take some time to reflect, find a calm space, breathe deeply, turn your focus inward to calm your mind. Think about the year that was, appreciate the positive aspects, reflect on the negatives and give yourself permission to let them go.
A great tip is to spend some time writing in your journal (What? You don’t have one? You may like to invest in one!) five things to release from 2021, and five things you want to bring into 2022. Read them aloud to make your intentions clear.
Now, let’s get specific about your goals!
The most realistic way to achieve your resolutions is by understanding exactly what it is you want. Be specific and ask yourself:
Where am I now in relation to where I want to be?
How will I know when I have what I’m longing for?
What resources do I need to make my goal a reality?
What actionable steps do I need to do to achieve my goal?
The SMART acronym will quickly become your goal planning go-to and a way to set achievable goals. It stands for Specific, Measurable & Meaningful, Attainable, Reward and Time-based.
Specific: Get crystal clear on what you want and why you want it. What will you see when you have achieved this goal? What will you hear? What will you feel? What will you be saying to yourself?
Measurable: What is the undeniable evidence that you will have when you have achieved your goal? If you want to be wealthier, what is the exact figure you want to earn or have saved in your bank account? If you want to be healthier, what is the exact number on the scale, or distance you can run, or weights you can lift?
Meaningful: Why do you want this goal? What is the purpose of this goal? How will it benefit yourself and others? Is it in alignment with what you value? Will it fulfill you?
Attainable: What are you willing to do to achieve this goal? For example, will you make a certain amount of sales calls everyday, or wake up early to exercise?
Ambitious goals are good, but not if there is absolutely no chance that you will ever achieve them. You don’t want to by lying to yourself. You want your goal to be a stretch but to be attainable within the timeframe you have set for yourself. If you do have a big hairy audacious goal, break it down into measurable chunks. Make sure you have enough time, energy and resources to achieve your goal by the deadline you set for yourself. I know of one man who made a goal to run a marathon, but he didn’t give himself enough time to train for it, so he became very sick from running the marathon while underprepared. His goal could have been achieved in a longer, more realistic timeframe.
Reward: This is one many people forget to plan – how will you celebrate, or feel rewarded once you achieve your goal? Many people achieve their goals but quickly move on to the next challenge, and therefore never feel like they have achieved anything; they always feel like they’re chasing their tail and never succeeding. The reason – they didn’t stop to acknowledge how far they’ve come!
It doesn’t need to be lavish, it could be as simple as buying a bunch of flowers for yourself, or planning a coffee with a loved one, but there should be some specific reward to allow you to stop and acknowledge your achievement.
Time-based: What is the exact date you plan to achieve this goal? Be specific. Example: “It is Christmas 2022 and I have achieved [insert your goal].
Once you have finished writing your SMART goal, put it somewhere where you can read it every day.
Now it’s time to commit to the daily actions that will move you towards your goals.
Daily habits are the key to making a real difference in your life and achieving your goals.
Habits are made up of 3 elements:
Trigger
Routine
Reward
You need to be conscious of what triggers your current habits, set an alternative routine or behaviour that will move you towards your new goals, and then reward yourself for every win, even if it’s just a personal high-five.
The kind of behaviour that doesn’t work would be saying you want to go for a run every day, but only when you feel like it. The trigger here is based on feeling like it, so on the days you’re not in the mood you don’t run and this can leave you disappointed with your results. Instead, be intentional about your habit.
A new cue could be: “When I get home from work, I put on my trainers and go for a run. I reward myself by watching an episode of my favourite TV show.” The cue is tied to putting on your trainers, a small step that’s easy to take every day, no matter your mood, and you’ve created something to look forward to once you’ve achieved this small daily goal. Over time it becomes a habit without having to think about it because you’ve got a procedure in place to make it happen.
Finally, seek Accountability.
Putting procedures into place is a great way to begin working on your goals, and accountability is the key to continue working until you achieve them. Share your goals with the world! Get your friends and family involved or professionals who can hold you accountable and keep you on track.
Staying accountable can be as simple as sharing updates online or working with one of our coaches who will celebrate the small wins with you and ensure you’re always feeling motivated.
So by creating goals consciously, planning the action steps, repeating these steps on a daily basis, working with someone to keep you accountable, and celebrating your success, you will look back on 2022 with pride at all that you have achieved.
Sonya Furlong, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sonya Furlong, based in Sydney Australia, is a Certified Trainer of NLP and Matrix Therapies, Life Coach, Therapist, Meditation Teacher, and Devotional Singer. After battling depression as a teenager Sonya discovered meditation and it literally saved her life. In her late 20s she was introduced to personal development and using the principles of success she learnt through her studies, went on to a successful career in the film industry, culminating in winning the Australian Academy Award. Sonya wanted to use her powers to help humanity and dedicated her life to the study and teaching of personal and professional development. Sonya believes everyone can live a happier, more fulfilling life, no matter what has happened to them in the past. Sonya runs the Centre for Life Therapies, an online wellness hub that offers transformational healing through trainings, group coaching, and private sessions.
