New Year resolutions, we al have written them in the beginning of each year, right? But how long did you actually managed to keep them alive? This is a really good question and to help us all persevere on our goals this year, I am happy to share a great article written by a dear friend of mine, Alona! The author shares valuable information and tips on how to set your goals correctly and follow them through. Something which I definitely need to improve and work on. The article is extremely well written and I am sure you will be delighted to read it. I encourage you to implement these ideas into your life and see how everything changes for the better. And of course, I really hope that there will be more articles by Alona on RichClubGirl.com in the nearest future. Fingers crossed! Enjoy! Yours, Rich Girl.

Hello Dear Rich Girls! Have you noticed, that smart researchers from all over the world started to warn us that we enter the critical timeline when most people will forget dieting and workouts, resume smoking, give up on reading at least 30 minutes a day and neglect ‘Goals to achieve’ notebook completely. Where do you stand on your New Year Resolutions?

I intend to persevere this time, no matter how tempting it might seem to pull back. Following through on the resolutions is actually part of my Great New Years To-Do Plan.

New Years Resolutions: Make This Year Your Best Ever

In order to cut off escape routes I’ve decided to find out why do we dodge the resolutions so surprisingly easy. And is there a way not to fall into the ‘Maybe Next Year’ philosophy.

I’ve started by reading Peter Bregman’s blog at Harvard Business Review. He wrote loads of articles on motivation and productivity and constantly shares practical techniques we can use to accomplish more.




Here is what Peter says about keeping your resolutions alive and kicking.

First, let’s determine why do we often fail miserably at fulfilling the dreams and aims.

Bregman noticed, that people only like to put the very big things in their resolution list. We usually say something like:

goals and resolutions 2012

These are all grandiose intentions. And they all are extremely challenging. Such goals made it to our list because we believe these are the things that will change the quality of life dramatically.

What we don’t always realize is that ambitious desires require big advanced planning and it will be a long journey to the moment when the dreams come true.

Don’t worry though, the super achievers don’t lie when tell you something inspiring.

dream big inspiring quote

3 Big Obstacles On the Way to Your Goal

1. Some goals are too huge and general to comprehend. If your wish to become a millionaire by the end of this year, you have to outline the very specific and concrete sub goals first.

To get going smoothly, you should admit that it won’t be simple and pleasant all the way through, but every little step you make counts.

Describe in details all small actions you have to take in order to achieve your big goal and follow the instructions strictly.

2. This might seem strange, but we abandon bunch of goals only because we are very scared. We often are worried that whatever it is we’d like to do won’t work out the way we imagine.

If you suspect that the fear of failure is something that stops you, try to imagine the worst-case scenario. Peter Bregman offers to ‘relive’ the possible failure entirely and move on. Now you can focus on figuring out what it is you must do to come closer to your goal. And remember that in case you fail, there will be countless other opportunities.

j.f. kennedy quote about success

3. The last trap to avoid is having a goal list with too many items on it. There simply can’t be too many things in your agenda. Our resources (time and energy) are limited. We must leave enough time to rest and recharge. If you are seriously interested in reaching your goals, Peter Bregman advises to have up to 5 of them per year.

Limit yourself. Think hard what it is you want the most. And stick to those 5 goals you want to accomplish.

Stephen A. Brennan Quote about accomplishment and success

Here is a simple and efficient system from Peter that will help you organize time and move towards your goals fast.

Daily 6-Box To-Do List

5 goals to reach this year are established. What’s next?

1. Each morning make a worksheet with 6 to-do boxes and put your 5 goals of the year in five of the boxes; leave the 6th box empty for now.

Put specific things to be done in every box. The 5 annual goals that you set are your main reference points.

Let’s say one of your goals is promotion at work. Think about all the activities, which can be done today, and which will lead you closer to getting the higher position. It might be writing a sales proposal, or presenting new marketing campaign, doing extra research on competitors, etc.

Approach other four boxes the same way. The most important thing is to remember, that these are five areas where you should spend 95% of your working time.

Everything that doesn’t get you closer to one of these aims must be taken off your daily to-do list.

What about the sixth box? You probably noticed, that the 6th area on the image below is labeled ‘The Other 5%’. This box can contain some critical activities that must be done, although they won’t help you to reach your goals. You should never spend more than 5% of your time on them.

daily to do list and planner

Download Original Daily To Do List at PeterBregman.com

2. Look at your six-box to-do list and move the most important items for the day into your calendar. It’s very important to decide when and where you will execute these sub-goals. Whenever you set a specific deadline for your to-do items, the chances of getting them done grow tremendously.

Some activities, like answering on emails or making phone calls must be done every day. Dedicate a specific time of the day for such to-do things and stick to it. Set a concrete hour for checking your email box and do it only at that time.

3. Make a firm agreement with someone about how you will spend your working time. Talk with your boss or partner about your six-box to-do list and about your daily calendar. Explain them what you plan to achieve today and how it fits in with your general yearly plan. This way you create deeper level of commitment and accountability.

That’s it for today, Rich Girls! Stay strong and dedicated and come share your tips and tricks to conquer the list of New Years resolutions!

Yours truly,

Alona

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