Happy New Year from the team at Clarity! We had a lot of great memories and growth in 2016 and a new year, 2017, means that we are given another year to continue on our journey and take some time to reflect on the old and set new goals for the future that further our mission.
The “New Year, New You” mantra is out! What if we just want to be ourselves , but better? Same with resolutions. Why would we want to resolve anything? While we are all about self improvement, maybe we stop getting down on ourselves about what we “should” be doing and focus more on what we want to be doing.
In the spirit of furthering your life’s journey personally and professionally…here are a few ways to set goals and set yourself up for success this year and for years to come:
- Set attainable goals, remember why, and write them down: Enough of the “I want to lose 20 lbs in a month” or “I’m going to apply to 50 job applications in a day” goals. Those aren’t realistic nor do they have a purpose (and quite frankly aren’t healthy). Don’t get me wrong, it’s awesome if you are looking to improve your health and wellness or get yourself out there in your job search, kudos to you! However, to set yourself up for success, figure out attainable goals that will be enjoyable to work towards, not a goal that will cause self punishment. To take it one step further, declare why you are setting this goal. Is losing weight going to help you feel better or help you keep up with your kids? Is setting a goal for job applications in efforts to get a job by a certain date? Know your why and write it down. It’s much easier to work towards something when you have a written reminder of what you want to accomplish and why. And don’t get down on yourself if you fall behind – remember life is a long journey and 2017 is just one year of it. As the saying goes “Four weeks from now you’ll be glad you started.” Get started, but don’t feel like you have to solve for everything in one year, which leads into my next tip…
- Just start and be patient: As the saying goes “If not now, when?” No really, when? Life is precious and unpredictable, we don’t know how much time we have on this earth. If you are not happy with an aspect of your life, set a goal and make a change, but remember to be patient (if you have that luxury). The team and I at Clarity speak to employers and job seeking candidates all day looking to either make a change in their organization with a new hire or replacement hire or with job seeking candidates looking to change their employment and sometimes, lifestyle situation. If you are looking to make a personal or professional change, you have to start somewhere. So don’t be afraid to just start! Do some research, talk to people, see what’s out there and take the necessary steps to get to where you want to go. But be patient with yourself and remember timing is everything so don’t force something and try to cram it into 2017 if it doesn’t make sense for you. Do what’s right for you!
- Don’t quit: Find ways to stay motivated! There will be bumps in the road to reaching your goals, but don’t stop, keep going. To quote Beyonce from her song Freedom, “Hey! I’ma keep running cause a winner don’t quit on themselves.” REMEMBER THAT. If you feel you need a break, take one. But don’t give up. Another cool quote I saw recently on Secrets2Success’s Instagram that I thought was an interesting metaphor: “An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it’s going to launch you into something great. So just focus, and keep aiming.” For more inspiration to keep pursuing your goals, follow these awesome Instagram profiles:
- Secrets2Succcess
- Thegoodquote
- Achievetheimpossible
- Before5am
- Thinkgrowprosper
I hope this post gets you psyched to continue your journey and kill it in 2017! At the same time be you, do what you like to do, and go for what you want!