The holiday season is two months away. Aren’t we all excited? I guess I am the most excited writer you will come across, because every week I have to fight the urge to write something related to the December holidays. Maybe I have also had enough of 2018 and all its ups and downs, I don’t know! One thing I know for sure however, is that just as the holiday season comes with lots of merriment, it also carries a baggage of uncertainties and expectations as we envision the New Year on the horizon. We also tend to reflect on the entire year, 2018, how well we lived and what goals were not met. I don’t know how your year has been but I have one tip for you that may boost your success in 2019 and it’s simple. Start planning the first quarter of the next year now. I got this idea from a conversation with a friend and it sounded magical, literally nothing made more sense than to plan early and well for the next year. This is of course said with the assumption that you actually have goals and that you do not leave and let live (go with the wind and how it shapes the year); instead you take full advantage of the power of a predetermined mindset. Do you envision yourself starting a business in 2019? Then use this last quarter of 2018 to do your research on the market dynamics, legal documentation requirements, and how you will acquire capital and markets for your products. Is it finding a new job, or relocating to a new place, or maybe you are eyeing a promotion, or even more exciting, you are planning to travel to a new destination. Start the ground work this year and then use that psych, motivation and fresh energy that comes with the New Year to keep momentum. Would you want to finally attain your weight goals in the next year, don’t ignore the scale and your failed efforts to fit into your best outfits now. This is dangerous especially because you may tend to use the holiday as an excuse to over indulge in all the unhealthy habits and foods, so much that when the year starts you have to work three times harder to achieve your weight and fitness goals. Why punish yourself this much in 2019? Take an empirical example of the organisations we work for, renowned international organisations such as the United Nations and even the countries we live in. They make plans, visions e.g. Vision 2020/2050, EDPRS I & II. There is a reason for this, so why can’t we translate the same leadership thought into our personal lives and avoid setting the ball rolling for every goal we have at the beginning of each year. We should only put emphasis on our goals and streamline them as the New Year begins. Start building the habits now, so that if you understandably slack during the holiday season, you will only need to re-adjust a few things at the beginning of the year instead of starting a new. Science actually dictates that it only takes three weeks to make or break a habit, and if you can imagine that only three weeks can make a difference in your life and kick start your New Year fresher and better, would you still hold off? It could be the simple common goals, which are hard to keep up, such as waking up early or getting to bed early for that matter or even reading more. Strengthen your muscle on them now, let us do away with fresh New Year resolutions. One last example, have you attended an annual conference and on the closing day a key speaker announces the next year’s conference dates and venue? Now that is what I am talking about. Plan your next year instead of letting it just flow, as things take time to mature. Also, chances are that you may not like everything random 2019 may throw at you. Twitter: @christineamira
