Demolishing your 2016 goals like a boss.

You are now two days into your first work week of the New Year. Congratulations! 

You survived the holiday and potentially your first case of the “Mondays” for 2016. Like most of the United States, you probably set a New Year’s resolution – or 10! Although good intentions are set as well, a whopping 75% of resolution setters will fail or give up by Sunday. Ouch. The University of Scranton concluded that only 8% of us actually achieve New Year’s goals. Let that sink in for a second. No, this isn’t a public service ad. However, I do believe that when you know better you can do better. Perhaps you set a goal to lose weight, spend more time with loved ones, or make the career move you’ve been talking about for years. Whatever your goals are, if you want to go the extra mile (because it’s clearly not crowded) stick with me. I’m committed to being a part of that 8% along with you.

If you’ve tried and failed, there is no judgement. I’ve failed too so I don’t think you’re lazy. Most of the time people fail because they have a lofty goal, but no plan. The unfortunate thing about resolutions, is that they allow you to pick as many destinations as you want but do not require you to think through how you actually get yourself there. As Ben Franklin said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!”.

Now, let’s talk about how we achieve success.

• KISS Method. (Keep it Simple Stupid) – While a bucket list is a nice aspiration, it’s essentially a setup for doom. Trying to pull an extreme makeover on yourself will end up having a counter effect of making you feel inadequate or prohibit you from even saying “go”.  Make a list and narrow down to one or two that are top priority.

• Set a specific/realistic goal. – Something broad or generic will not force you to create a specific plan. A specific goal will require a lot of small steps. That means all you have to do is focus on one little step at a time. Then before you know it, you’ve crossed a mountain!

• Forget about “New Year’s”! – There are 360 perfectly good decision making days left in 2016. Start today. Make your commitment an everyday affair. Jump into your life with both feet.

• Have confidence in your own abilities! – First you’ve got to believe you can do it. Visualize success in your head. Remember those little steps? Each one you take is a success – celebrate them!

Let’s say your goal is to progress your career. “Finding a new job” requires a lot of steps. The first one is to start brainstorming: Why do I want to make a change? What do I really enjoy? What do I want to achieve? What kinds of companies might I be of value to? What type of culture works best for me? Should I relocate for a better opportunity? Do I have a current resume? Etc, etc etc.  

Stay tuned for next week’s installment of the next step in your career change process. Remember, I’m committed to success in 2016 right along with you. #YouGotThis

In the meantime, there’s nothing better than working with good people, so drop me a line!

E-mail: info at connorcaitlin.com  Twitter: @deenasullivancc