So 2017 is in full throttle as we’re in the second week of the New Year. Like most people, you probably set a list of new goals or better yet you may have some New Year’s Resolutions that last week you were pumped about.
You may still be filled with excitement or maybe not.
I heard about a study that said that 25% of people abandon their New Year’s Resolution within the first week and 60% percent in the first 6 months.
According to another study, about 93% of New Year’s goals go unfulfilled and the average person makes the game resolution 10 times without success.
Whoa! Scary, right? What’s this madness about?
Well, I’ve noticed that many of us fall for some common mistakes that deceive us into failing at our goals.
First, many of us don’t set goals but we make “wishes” rather. These wishes usually sound something like “be smart,” “be healthy”, “make more money”, “work out more”, “be happy”, “get closer to God”. I can tell you now that none of these “goals” will be achieve because they lack specificity, clarity and deadlines.
Deadlines hold you accountable and help you kick procrastination in the butt. Did you know that the most productive day of work is usually the day before vacation? Why? Because you have a deadline!
Having a “goal” of “being healthy” is not specific and is not measurable. You won’t be able to tell whether you’ve achieved it or not. Because it lacks specifics, it’s going to be almost impossible to achieve because you don’t know what your target is. When your goals lack specificity, it’s like getting all dressed up with no where to go. Like I heard someone say, “vague goals bring vague results.”
This introduces us to the key to setting goals. They must be SMART definitive Statements. SMART stands for an acronym of Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Specific.
Second, we don’t write goals down. Studies shows that written down goals are five times more likely to be achieved. I read about a Harvard study that was done where graduate students were asked, “Do you have clear written-down goals?” Only 3% had goals and plans written down, 13% had some goals but they weren’t written down, and 84% had no goals. Ten years later that same class was interviewed again and the 3% that had the goals written goals were earning on 20x more than the rest of the class combined!
Coincidence, I think not!
Don’t be lazy and think that you can remember all of your goals and not write them down. Writing your dreams and goals will give you clarity of vision and help you witness and measure your progress. Writing down your dreams and goals will keep you focused and that’s one the main ingredients of success that we often bypass.
Lastly, we don’t take time to determine the plan needed to achieve our goals. Setting a goal is one thing but the next step is setting action steps and develop a strategy to achieve that goal. Sometimes a goal may seem so overwhelming that you don’t know where to start so you don’t start at all.
This is exactly why I created a free 3-day email course to help you overcome fear and procrastination to achieve and slay your 2017 goal in faith! Each day you’ll learn how not to be in that 93% of people who leave their New Year goals unfulfilled.
- Day 1 will cover asking yourself the most important question to make 2017 your best year yet. Trust me, get ready to be motivated and once you answer that question and visualize the response, you’ll be too inspired not to get to work. I’ve even included worksheets and downloadable videos to keep you motivated for each class.
- Day 2 will cover how to identify and effectively set your top goals for the year. We’ll also go over common goal-setting mistakes, SMART goals, how to use the correct tense and structure to make your goals, clear and specific statements – not wishes.
- Day 3 will cover a step-by-step guide with several, simple but highly effective techniques to help you actually create a plan to achieve your goals and conquer procrastination. You’ll learn how you can begin working on your goals immediately, like today! I’ll show you how to implement your goals into your weekly routine, how to identify the purpose of your goals to help you create a plan of action and how to break down big, intimidating goals.
I will teach you a specific format to write your goals, how to find time to work on your goals and how to gain clarity on what you really want. Learn more or sign-up here!
Make 2017 your most memorable year yet!
XOXO,
Maria I. Melendez
Founder & CEO
Embrace Her Legacy