The year 2014 is finally here with
the hope of a fresh start, carryover tasks from the previous year or
simply what is commonly know as the New Year Resolution Syndrome. You
know those long, endless lists of promises and improvements in your life
that you intend to accomplish during the year. Like quitting that
dreadful job, pursuing your dream career or even getting that degree you
have been procrastinating about. Sounds familiar? Let’s face it; if you
don’t lay out a realistic strategy that you can follow religiously,
your resolutions may fall flat only after a few months. In no particular
order, here are 10 easy tips that can get you prepared for 2014:
• Write your goals: It is vital to
write down your goals because the memory isn’t quite reliable. If you
don’t pen down your thoughts, they will go in the wind before you
realize it. Additionally, written goals help bring focus, clarity and
direction; and it is usually the first step towards planning anything
substantial. In this New Year, you must cultivate the habit of writing
down (or typing) your goals and action plans to help you remember what
to focus on, just in case you begin to deviate.
• Plan realistically: You must be
realistic with your goals and expectations of 2014. Don’t set goals that
appear far-fetched, intangible or unattainable. Start with small goals
that you can easily accomplish, then add-on more tasks along the way.
Planning realistic and attainable goals will definitely put you on track
in achieving results this year.
•Maintain a positive mindset: You must
avoid any form of negativity. Whether it is previous disappointments
from what you weren’t able to achieve last year, or any form of
discouragement from pursuing the tasks ahead of you, avoid it like a
plague. A mental shift must occur in your mind to give you the right
frame and energy to take on the Year 2014.
• Be consistent: Consistency is key in
staying on top of your goals this year. Until you have consistently
attempted your goals for a period of time, you cannot really measure
your progress. When planning out your year, you must apply consistency
to enable you establish a track record. Remember, slow and steady wins
the race!
• Avoid procrastination: Time is of the
essence when planning your year and if mismanaged, your goals may
rollover to next year and beyond. You must effectively manage your time,
available resources and opportunities to help you achieve your goals.
You must ground goals within a time frame and ensure that you stick to
them. Create daily, weekly and monthly action plans and you will
undoubtedly see results throughout the year.
• Reevaluate your network: Your network
has a huge influence in planning your year. Your network may either give
you the much-needed boost in achieving your goals or drag you downhill.
As a result, you must apply wisdom in selecting people that are worthy
to be in your network. Think about people who slowed you down in the
previous year and tactically avoid them. You must surround yourself with
only people that have a similar outlook for 2014 and leave the
detrimental ones behind.
• Apply prudence: This New Year is one
that you must take on judiciously and this must be applied in your
spending, budgeting, and overall livelihood. Understand that your
current situation and goals are unique to you alone and avoid getting
carried away by trend or the status quo.
• Be disciplined: Exercising discipline
will surely keep you dedicated towards plotting your 2014 strategies.
Discipline must be applied in your attitude, execution and in many other
factors that you will need to achieve your goals this year. Discipline
is being accountable to you, even when the going gets tough.
• Be enlightened: To enable you stay on
top of your goals this year, you must keep your mind open and be willing
to learn and explore new things everyday. Do pretty much anything that
will keep you enlightened about what is happening in your environment,
and you just might be one step away from a mind-blowing business idea.
Read more books, join focus groups and basically engage your mind in
anything that will help you become more insightful than you were the
previous year.
• Reflect on your achievements:
Reflecting on your achievement is vital. You must learn to pause, and
look back on what you have been able to accomplish thus far and this
will give you the encouragement to keep going. Think about the changes
you have attributed in diverse areas of your life in the previous year.
Give yourself a resounding tap on the back for a job well done, and
then strive to do even better in 2014!
By: Obodo Ejiro
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