New Year Resolutions are cliché and we won’t be talking about that (for now). However, until mid-January, the spirits are high, passions elevated and promises made to the self that this will be the year you start your dream life.
Turns out, you exhaust yourself two weeks later only to repeat the same process next year. You need to get something straight: You’re stuck in a vicious circle, my friend! Where does the problem lie? Why does our brain lack consistency in planning for success?
It’s because we don’t.
We don’t plan for success. We merely plan. (we merely “pla”).
How does planning for success looks like? Let’s break it down.
Planning vs. Planning for Success
When planning for success, you break your goals into small, measurable, ACTIONABLE baby goals instead of having a vague mission statement in mind.
Let’s see an example;
I will become a successful blogger in 2019.
OR
I will start a blog this year and stick to posting one to two posts per week for the rest of the year. I will bring value to my readers and provide solutions to their problems.
Which one sounds doable? its like reel vs. real.
Our brain listens to the ideas that are running around our head.
Close your eyes.
You closed your eyes, right? I read this great insight in Lilly Singh’s book; How to Be a Bawse, that our brain is hardwired to follow instructions. Not the ones that come out of our mouth, but the ones that our brain believes to be true.
Design a better conversation in your head and you’re already halfway there.
Value Aligned Goals
Our values are fundamental beliefs that guide and dictate our behavior and shape our reactions. In a value aligned goal setting, you create goals keeping in mind your core values. This makes it impossible to question them later on. If the foundation of your goals lies in your personal values, it is almost natural to accomplish them.
For example, if your core values place great importance on health and fitness, it becomes easier to go to the gym. Some other examples of values include honesty, reliability, commitment, and work-life balance.
The sad part is, core values aren’t always positive. A person may hold beliefs that trigger hopelessness. For examples, a belief that you are fated to a mediocre life and no matter what you do, you cannot change your fate. Or that the world is a cruel place where you can only climb up by pulling others down.
Align your goals with positive core values meanwhile working on improving your beliefs. A good way to improve is to practice meditation for clarity, positivity, and a higher self-esteem.
Plan for ONE Percent Each Day
Start your day with a mental note to increase your performance and productivity by one percent. This works great for personal, professional and relationship goals. Improving by one percent each day is easy and effortless. It doesn’t require any hardcore motivation either.
Think one less negative thought, take one step towards taking responsibility for your mistakes, bring one good idea to the table, do a single noble gesture of kindness, and the next 365 days will bring so much improvement and personal development!
Planning is Great, Execution is Everything
Action is everything. Unless you get up and actually do it, no matter how repeatedly you planned for the task and imagined doing it over and over in your head, it would all be in vain. One thing that makes me get off the couch and actually starts working is time blocking.
I don’t intimidate my mind by thinking that I’ll do everything on my to-do list for the day in this very hour. I aim to work on a single task and even divide that into sections when I’m feeling super unmotivated. And that’s often.
I break down my writing process into three parts all comprising more or less ten to twenty minutes:
Research > Writing > Proofreading and Posting the Content
That way when I approach my desk, I don’t have the feeling that I’m booked for an hour. Otherwise, my brain reminds me a dozen other pending tasks that need to be done in this very hour.
In a nutshell, don’t just plan; plan for success, and prepare yourself for victory. Do everything in your power to take the steps necessary to accomplish your goals. Every small win counts. Remember to reward yourself for the baby steps and you’ll end up running miles.
Hope this helps in pushing that mind block and getting-stuck feeling. Make sure you leave your valuable feedback in the comments section and let me know what real techniques you use to plan for success.
This was originally published on Medium/Vocal.Media
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]