January 2015 is almost over which means that if any of us made any new goals or resolutions for the year it’s either on track or dead in the water. The top 5 new year resolutions are:
1. Lose weight.
2. Start Exercising.
3. Spend more time with family and friends.
4. Enjoy life more.
5. Help others.
I have to admit that my new year resolution falls into those 5 categories and I am well pleased to note that so far I am on track. I have lost the weight that I had gained during the festive session, running 5k 3 times a week, golfing with the aim of reducing my score to 100 but really just to have fun, setting aside and spending time with God and focusing on my coaching activities.
One of my new year goal is to start my blog/online presence as part of my coaching practice. I have been procrastinating on this for a very long time. Why? It was out of fear and laziness more than anything else. My mind would just feel too tired thinking about setting it up, updating it and whether anyone would even read it and so on and so forth. All these rather “negative” thoughts had me defeated even before I could start. To overcome this, I decided to just DO IT. I love the Facebook motto of “Its Good Enough”. I wanted or envisioned perfection but I have come to realise that Good Enough is really Good enough. To know “why” I am doing it is far more important that “what” I imagine could happen or not happen. Hence I started this blog to share my learnings, my thoughts and to help bring some clarity or steps to take to break down barriers.
What can you do to break down the barrier of NOT starting on your goals?
1. Start with a goal. Sounds obvious but there is a need to write a list of goals down. One of the great trainings from Microsoft is writing down SMART goals. Strangely I actually still do that. It provides a starting point, end point and clarity to what you want to achieve.
2. Keep it simple. Keep you actions or steps simple. Simplicity helps you to focus and cut through the noise of complexities. For example, to start a weight loss program doesn’t require massive investments in shakes or diet programs or joining a gym. It just starts with reducing 1 not so healthy element with another better option. My example is instead of starting with a flashy, robust, all beautiful website, I started with a simple blog. Just keeping it simple, makes the step less arduous.
3. Just do it. Nike tagline is perfect. To overcome the fear whether it’s about failure or success is to just do it. Just take the plunge. Take the first step. Does not matter what the reaction is or the results are. Taking the step is more significant than any set back you might encounter. As we take the step, confidence will grow and that will in turn reduce your fear level.
4. Stick with it. Perseverance is a must and that will get you through the grind when its tough. Nothing worthwhile ever comes from nothing. My best friend always ask me why I play golf. Well it’s about that 1 good shot, forgetting the 110 bad shots. That in itself helps with your mindset. Focusing on the good and learning from the bad.
5. Have fun. Whatever the goal is, it must because you enjoy it or will enjoy it so that you can have fun with it. Some things might start out as not fun but necessary e.g. exercise but I think that once you find something that you enjoy or can feel the difference that its making, the fun element comes into play.
I hope that your resolution for 2015 are on track and if not, I hope that those 5 suggestions can help you get going.
Lisa Lam : Coach | Trainer | Consultant 