We’re at the end of January and it’s a great time to reflect on the progress you made this month. Whether you made significant progress or not, it’s important to take a look at what’s working and what isn’t working. That way you can adjust what isn’t working and leverage the things that are working.
If you felt like you haven’t started on your goals, the good news is that you don’t have to wait for any specific time to start! I know that I can catch myself wanting to wait for a significant date like the start of the week or the start of the month. The truth is that if I want to get started on something, the perfect time to get started is now!
I think that I have used perfection as an excuse for my procrastination. Not wanting to do the work necessary because the conditions weren’t “perfect”. Can’t do video because I need a better camera. Can’t release my e-course because I haven’t found the perfect platform. If there’s one thing I know for sure it’s that if you’re looking for an excuse not to do something, you’ll always find one. Whether or not they’re based in any kind of real truth is a completely different story.
If your issue is that you don’t where to start, then it’s time to work on a plan. You know what you want to achieve, so the first step is identifying what you need to do to get you there. Once you know what you need to do, then the next step is to develop a plan to make those things happen. What resources do you need? Do you need help? Where do you need to go or who do you need to talk to? Once you get clear on those things, you can then start to do the work to make your goals happen.
If you’re not sure on what your goals are for the year, I think a great question to ask yourself is “am I living the life I want?” If your answer is yes, awesome! Think about what you can do to make it better. If your answer is no, then think about what you would need to do to create the life you want. Is it a change in career, going back to school or reconnecting with a forgotten hobby? Whatever it is, once you’ve identified it, create a plan to make it happen.
Get clear on your goals, create a plan, and execute the plan while checking your progress on a regular basis. It sounds simple, and it is. The key is to do the work and be prepared for setbacks. The challenges you encounter aren’t signs that you need to give up; they’re a test of how committed you are to seeing your goal through to its completion.
What are you going to make happen this year?