Happy New Year!!
As we enter into 2016, I hope you take a moment today to reflect on what you can do to make 2016 your best year ever. What is one goal that, when you achieve it, will make the rest of your life better, more productive, more healthy, more balanced, or more fun? Would you like to eat more vegetables, get more sleep, prioritize your relationships, achieve a certain benchmark in your business, walk regularly, or reduce your sugar intake? What can you commit to doing in order to make that happen?
(I took this picture yesterday morning in Colorado!)
Don’t stop with brainstorming – actually write your goals and action steps down. Research shows that you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if they are written down.
Make sure that your goals challenge you. I believe that when you say your goal out loud, you should feel just a bit anxious (you know, that giddy feeling of “I’m not sure if I can really achieve this, but man would it feel good if I did!“). In his book “Happier,” Tal Ben Shahar advises setting goals in between your “comfort” zone and your “panic” zone. If you know your goal is possible but it feels just a bit out of reach, then it’s the perfect goal for you!
Last month, I went to Hal Elrod’s Best Year Ever Blueprint Live conference in San Diego, and I left feeling so inspired and motivated that I almost doubled my December business goals, committed to prioritizing myself and my own morning routine, and approached my client interactions – and life! – feeling energized. And that was just December – the best is yet to come! While the content of the conference was amazing, I think the results came from taking the time to focus on my goals, writing them down and saying them out loud, and letting myself feel inspired by what I will accomplish in the near future. You can achieve this same motivation and excitement from the comfort of your own home – just take some time to reflect and dream today!
You’ll notice that in this post I use the word “goal” instead of “Resolution.” This is intentional – because so many people set New Year’s Resolutions to be perfect or to revolutionize some aspect of their lives … and lack the action plan that goes with it. They feel inspired for a day or a week, but fail to remind themselves of their goal regularly, and end up dropping it within a few weeks. If we set goals that are inspirational but reasonable, have action plans to achieve them, and stay continuously motivated, though, we can – and will! – achieve them! For more of my thoughts on New Year’s Resolutions, see these posts:
Start Here: 12 days away!
As you know, my book, “Start Here: 7 Easy, Diet-Free Steps to Achieve Your Ultimate Health and Happiness,” launches in just 12 days! If you’re looking for the perfect place to start your health journey, or feeling overwhelmed by all the conflicting health information swamping your news feed this time of year, get ready for a game changer!
I asked you last week which bonus you’d like to receive for purchasing my book … a Healthy Pantry Guide, Daily Health Tracker, Facebook Accountability Group for Start Here readers only, or a Weekly Meal Planner. Well, guess what? I’m feeling generous, and have decided to give you ALL of these bonuses when you purchase the book! Mark your calendar for January 13th!
Now it’s your turn … What is one of your goals for 2016? How will you accomplish it? Let’s make this our best year ever!
All about the goals. I have so many goals and now that I think about it, I havent written any of them down yet. Doing that now!
So excited for your book and hope this launches an amazing 2016 for you!
For me, since I have no ‘real’ goals other than ‘maintain’ – keep running, keep healthy, keep eating well, maintain weight – my goal is to ‘avoid complacency’! Boredom can stall progress … so I need to be mindful of that!
although i didnt really set any goals for myself for 2016 (its go with the flow kinda year for me)..i dont like the word resolution so im glad im not the only one here..i think writing down the goals and hanging it somewhere visible is a great way to keep yourself accountable!!!!
I love the “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you” saying! It is so true. I know especially when it comes to me working out, if I’m not sweating and gasping for air, then I didn’t do enough! haha
These quotes are amazing! Loving them as a source of motivation!
I love the quotes. I am a sucker for good quotes lol I don’t have resolutions for this year, I have more like a to-do list and a time frame to get it done. which will keep me focused because they are defined and specific. I think it is so important to write out your goals. It makes them real and more achievable that way. Happy New Year and good luck with reaching your goals this year.
I love all of these quotes!! I definitely think writing down goals makes them more achievable. I went the same route of making goals rather than resolutions for the year and came up with a list of “16 things for 2016.” I’m hoping righting them down will make me more accountable! Congrats on the new book!