Planning is the single most important aspect of success, this is why it has become a norm for many to set New Year resolutions at the start of each year. The excitement that comes with starting a new year pushes many to set new goals, for example, owning a house, eating healthier, earning more money, among other ambitions; however, few people ever get to fulfil these plans. Lifestyle gurus explain that for one to attain their set goals in life, a number of principles have to be considered. First of all, there is need for commitment to the set goals. Charles Shyaka, a business mentor, says that one of the biggest obstacles to achieving dreams is lack of commitment. Once a person decides what they want to accomplish, there is need to make a serious commitment to it and also set in motion a good planning system, this helps you not to lose focus, he says. He also says that there is need to set a timeline for the new plans and setting deadlines to be reached. “Objectives need to be achieved in a certain period of time, this helps to ensure an efficient and realistic goal plan. If you don’t set a deadline, chances are high that you will end up procrastinating and in the end fail to yield results,” Shyaka says. Evaluate preceding plans. Shyaka notes that before making new plans, it is always a wise step to take a moment and revisit the old ones you had to specifically check off anything you did not accomplish. “If you make new plans before achieving old ones it becomes a habit of not fully going through with your commitments, and a sign of not taking your plans seriously,” he says. The mentor also adds that it is very important to put pen to paper whatever goals one has in mind because it makes things clear and acts as a constant reminder of what it is one wants to accomplish. “Writing down your goals gives you a clear picture of what your goals should look like, and it helps you break them down in smaller steps that can make them achievable.” Bill Bekunda, a life coach, explains that for one to achieve their set goals, they should be specific and the goals must be clear and well defined. He advises people to set measurable goals by, for instance, including precise amounts, dates, and so on, in their goals so that it becomes easy to measure one’s degree of success. “Set timelines to your goals, avoid reckless spending, add plan, purpose and budget to routines,” he says. Bekunda, however, cautions that one should make sure that the goals they are setting are attainable. “Setting unattainable goals or raising the bar too high can make it hard to achieve certain objectives.” He also advises people to avoid drunkenness and instead choose sobriety because he believes that intoxication is the biggest contribution to inefficiency and productivity loss. Bekunda is of the view that if one is to attain their goals for the New Year, they should refrain from procrastination for this is the number one reason that fails many people when it comes to achieving New Year resolutions. Making plans requires going for things that excite you In his article, How to Achieve Your Missed 2018 Goals in 2019, author and motivational speaker, Jack Canfield, says to overcome failure, it is important forgive yourself for not achieving your 2018 goals. It can be all too easy to become judgmental and get down on yourself for what you failed to achieve, he says. But beating yourself up over missing your goals is not going to change the past, and it isn’t going to help you going forward into the future either. What it will do is negatively impact your self-esteem, your self-confidence, and your motivation, he writes. Canfield, hence, advises to start by letting go of any lingering guilt or frustration with yourself, and then turn your attention to what you can learn from the experience. He notes that people shouldn’t beat themselves up too much because in most cases when you look at the goals failed to be accomplished, the first possibility is those goals were what he refers to as ‘should’ goals. Goals you think you should do, but that you don’t really want to do. Goals like losing weight, working out more often, running a marathon, spending more time with parents, and learning a foreign language. You think you should do them, you think they would be good for you, but deep down, you’re really not that committed to them. These are often the goals that keep appearing year after year on your list of goals and never get accomplished. You want your goals to be things that you really, really want to accomplish – goals that excite you, goals that you can’t wait to get out of bed to work on, he says. Goals like de-cluttering your office might be a ‘should’ goal. Learning to scuba dive or writing your book, or getting your realtor’s license might be something you really want to do. Canfield on the other hand suggests that there is need to let go of fears that could be limiting your potential. You may have run up against some fears that stopped you, take the time to honestly look at what those fears are. Remember, every failure contains a treasure trove of valuable lessons if you take the time to look for them, so look for the lessons to be learned and implement them in your life as you set your goals for the year ahead and you’ll make sure that 2019 is a truly phenomenal year for you. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
