5 Incredible Tips to Achieving your 2020 Goals

The start of a new year comes with many opportunities to set new goals, assess your earlier set goals and determine to do things differently to enjoy a productive life.

Statistics reveal that 92% of people fail to achieve most of their New Year resolutions.

I have been a victim a couple of times when I look at my goals in December and realize even l forgot some of them. That is why I thought of sharing these important tips that can turn your goals into actionable steps to bring the desired results.

That said, there are some mistakes that you will be keen to avoid and some habits you will have to embrace to realize your 2020 resolutions.

1. Align the annual Goals with the Big Picture

Since you have these New Year resolutions, the question to ask is, ‘how do they relate with my vision for the next 5, 10 or even 20 years?’ Answering that question will help you set the right milestones to feed your long-term goal.

Otherwise, if the goals are disconnected from the bigger picture, you may not have the motivation to go on and strive to achieve them. Besides, there is no long-term benefit.

You will need to regularly review your short term milestones and ensure they are the correct building blocks to your major goal.

2. Have a REASON Why you Must Achieve that Goal

Having a reason or a benefit that you will realize upon achieving that goal will provide the intrinsic motivation to do the extra things.

For example, if you have set out to shed off an extra 10kgs, the reward will be enhanced self-image, better sleep, and reversed lifestyle disorders among other benefits. These benefits will be the driving force to push yourself harder in the gym, say no to that offer of a pizza and stick to that diet plan you have selected.

For every area of your life, you need to know the ultimate reward of achieving that goal and what will suffer if that goal is not achieved. That way, you can endure a strenuous activity, spend sleepless nights on a project and rise up early to pursue your goals.

A question to ponder – do you have a specific reason for every resolution you have? If not, consider revisiting your annual goals and making a few adjustments.

3. Set Strategic and Realistic Goals

The goal-setting process should not be done hurriedly or as a reaction to an unproductive life. Rather, it should emanate from a thoughtful process that considers all important factors.

For example, maybe in 2019 you squandered your resources and failed to save. Then this year’s saving goal is to set aside 50% of my income. That may be too high to achieve. The ideal thing is to progressively make adjustments. For instance, within the first month, save 5% then grow progressively to a percentage that you desire ultimately.

Strive to ensure that you have over 70% capacity to accomplish that goal. Otherwise, setting too high goals is a recipe for frustration and failure. When you consistently fail to achieve your goals, you will be discouraged and give up.

To avoid such despair and feeling bad at the end of the year, make the goals that you can easily inculcate in your daily routine and make it part of your lifestyle.

Shun and flee from these quick-fixes. For example, I do not subscribe to a ’10-days to get in shape philosophy’. Those are commercials that are neither sustainable nor realistic.

4. Have a Workable Plan to Achieve your Goals

Now that you have realistic goals in place that are aligned to your big picture and a reason to achieve these goals, the next thing to do is to breakdown the goals.

What I mean is, having strategies, tasks, habits, to do lists, could do lists that can be executed on a daily basis.

Prioritize your activities by identifying what must be done and what could be done.

Since coming up with a plan may consume too much time in the trial and error, I prefer using proofed models by other successful people in my field. That is, if a person adopted various lifestyle changes each morning and it brought the desired outcome, you may also consider following that model since it is tested and proofed.

However, always apply caution and look at the wider scope and not blindly follow a person’s routine.

5. Take Action and Review Regularly

Now that the goals are in place and the plan to achieve them, you need to take action and implement your goals.

Having incredible goals will not bring the desired outcomes if you do not take any action.

Psyche up yourself and consistently undertake those daily tasks and engage in the weekly routines as you pursue your goals.

Identify an evaluation routine where you can monitor your progress. For me, a month works best as I review what is working and what is not. Make necessary adjustments that suit your routine.

Conclusion

Now that you have written your 2020 goals, are you going to do things differently to achieve them?

Do not wait until December to review your progress. NO. Make it a habit.

Know and be persuaded of the reward you will get after achieving those goals. Even in hard and difficult days, be encouraged to pay the price for the prize.

With that plan in place, you will redeem time daily, you will choose your company wisely and you will make the best of your gifts.

Enjoy setting and realizing your 2020 goals.