Skip the January pressure to set a new year’s goal please.

University of Scranton research suggests that just 8% of people achieve their New Year’s goals. Why is that? My theory is that these are annual, sometimes recurring wishes, those ideals we think about but don’t think through.

This newsletter is about making this year the one where you have far better chances for achieving your goal – which I will ask you not to set, feeling all the pressure of January and New Year’s resolutions. Wait until next month.

Wait until February and give it some thought. Then follow along with me on my blog, my business Facebook page, on LinkedIn or on Twitter.

So read my advice to begin with. Try it out on your own. Meet with me by phone or Skype and talk it through. Attend a workshop. Or meet with me in person for a longer meeting.

You’ll discover, starting with this newsletter, new ways to think about, create and support your important goals, as I give you my best for your new year.

To Your Organized Life*

Sue@OrganizeNH.com 
cell 603-765-9267
office 603-554-1948

p.s. I sign my notes to you this way because the most common phrase people say when they first call is “Can you help me organize my life?” It means different things to each of you, but that’s often the starting point.
   

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Be That Person!

Would you like to increase your chances of achieving your goals this year? What could be different this time around? You’ve always had commitment. You’ve started out well. You felt you were being realistic. And then, well, by the end of the year, you hadn’t met the goal.

Flummoxed, floundering and feeling like you’d failed. Sigh.

There are reasons all along the way for what might have happened, but today, I’ll focus on creating the goal, and I believe you’ll read some new ideas here. If we miss creating the “right” goal, well, a lot of the rest won’t matter.

And then throughout the year, on my social media sites and here in the newsletter, you’ll hear more about: what to  do when it’s difficult to get started, staying motivated, staying on track, what to do if you fall off the track and more.

So here we go. Suggestions for creating a goal that will work for you.

Is your goal “heartfelt”? From the book HARD Goals, “H” stands for heartfelt. We need to know: Why do I care so deeply about this goal? What’s the heartfelt, deep down, personal or soul connection to this goal?  “Goals for which you have a heartfelt attachment add a dimension of “wanting” to achieve this goal instead of just “needing” to do it.” Write out or talk about your goal in these deeper terms. Keep at it until you get to something that rocks your soul.

How long have you been thinking about this? How does this impact your life?  What triggered your thinking? How much time has this already taken up?

What do you most value about yourself, your relationships, and the nature of your work? If we can connect your goal to values and higher level goals, it is easier to begin, stay on track with, and sustain. What do you stand for and is that in sync with how all of this affects your life?

Is your goal a positive statement or is it a negative one? “I won’t do this.” “I will lose pounds.” Both are negatives; but your goal can be about what happens when you accomplish that thing. Something fabulous, right?  THAT is what your goal needs to be. Keep asking the question: “So what?” and you’ll get at where you need to be.

Go for your strengths. Before you choose your goal, figure out what your strengths and values are. Go for a goal that is about making your strengths even stronger, rather than focusing on something you can imagine only being average at. Which feels better, making something you do well even better? Or coming up the curve with something so difficult that you’ll ever get “okay” at it.

Resources:

VIA Me! Character Strengths Profile

Clifton StrengthsFinder Assessment


Animate your goal: That’s right animate! You’ve perhaps heard “Make the goal specific, measurable, SMART, etc.” This approach is different, because it is about using ALL of your senses. So it’s more than a vision board.

You’ll describe, in detail, how things will be when your goal is accomplished. What will things look like? What will you hear? How will you feel? Describe your benefits, trying to use all five senses. Make the goal “animated.”

“One of the key determinants of whether or not we choose a goal… is how clearly and vividly we can picture (feel) that goal in our minds.” (HARD goals) And I would say that animation also improves our chances of sticking with the goal by staying more motivated – or getting back on track more easily.

That’s more for another day. Take all of this as you consider your goals, whether they be life, personal or work related. Drop by and chat online at any of my social media sites; I’d love to hear from you and I know other readers would like to know advice from any of you, too!
 

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Momentum Moments

Feeling like you need momentum around that goal you’ve been thinking about?

• Don’t know the first step?
• Feeling overwhelmed? Where to start?
• Want it to be different this time around?

January’s “fresh start” price: $70 for one hour by phone with Sue.

Email me for scheduling or click to learn more.