Make 2016 Your Best Year Yet

December 29, 2015 - 7 minutes read

Now is that time of year when we start thinking about the year ahead and what New Year resolutions we could or should make. These often consist of resolutions such as ‘do more exercise’ or ‘eat healthier’. We may start off with good intentions but then quickly give up. So why is that? This is often because they are not exciting or motivating enough to keep us going. They are self-imposed rules, habits or actions. They are missing the ‘so what’. They are not linked to a higher purpose or bigger goal.

If you want to make 2016 count and make a real positive difference to your life then, instead of setting resolutions, set yourself big juicy goals. You will be amazed at the difference that this makes! All great sports and business people set and measure themselves against goals. This is how they achieve greatness in their chosen field. Research has also proven that the happiest and most successful people in the world set goals.

The Principles of Great Goal Setting

Having any old goal won’t do. It is important to follow some goal setting principles to ensure that it is effective. You may have heard of SMART goals, however I believe that for a goal to be truly effective that they should be AMPLEST:

A – Achievable  Goals that are out of reach will de-motivate rather than motivate.

M  – Measurable Define specific success criteria so that you can measure yourself and keep track of your progress.

P  – Planned  ‘A goal without a plan is just a wish’ so ensure that you have an action plan with clear action steps that will take you towards your goal.

L – Logged Write your goal down, preferably in a place where it is visible and you can see it every day.

E – Exciting If a goal isn’t exciting then you won’t be motivated enough to achieve it. Think BIG!

S – Specific Goals must be well defined, clear and unambiguous. T Time-bound To keep you focused set a timeframe by which you will achieve the goal.

T  – Time-bound To keep you focused set a timeframe by which you will achieve the goal.

 

How to Set Great Goals

There are many different methods of goal setting. Below I have shared four approaches which I like using to set my AMPLEST goals.

# 1 – Create a Vision Board

Vision boards are a creative and visual way to display your 2016 goals. Get a large A3 piece of card and lots of magazines and cut out images that represent what you want to achieve this year. Alternatively, if you prefer using tech, then using apps such as Pinterest to create your vision board is just as effective.

#2 – Reflect on the past to help define the future

Steve Jobs once said:

You cannot connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect the dots looking backwards…this approach has never let me down, and has made all the difference in my life.

I like this philosophy. Whilst we cannot predict the future, we can draw on our strengths and previous achievements to help us define the future that we want. This is a technique that I use to help my clients, as we often attribute previous successes to fate or chance, and not to something that WE have done. I help my clients join the dots and feel more positive about the future. Think about the key highlights in your life and key achievements. Which of them made you feel most proud and most fulfilled? What strengths did you use? What do you want more and less of next year?

# 3 – Use the Wheel of Life

We may have more than one goal we want to set ourselves, but have a number of different challenges or opportunities available which makes it hard to know where to start with our goal setting. The Wheel of Life is a popular and useful life coaching tool to help us review the balance across every aspect of our lives, and to help us prioritise our goals.

An example of Wheel of Life is below. The headings on each segment can be changed to reflect the aspects of your life that are important to you.

 

#4 – Set a HUGG (Huge Unbelievably Great Goal)

People often think small, and therefore limit themselves when goal setting. Another option is to think BIG and to think of a HUGG, a huge, unbelievably great goal. A goal that would be your preferred, and most exciting, position. The one that will make you feel really proud. It may not seem achievable at the moment, but defining it and writing it down will make you reach further and challenge yourself in a way you might not otherwise do. Once you have identified HUGG, you can identify possible building blocks to get you there, working backwards from the HUGG. These give you your starting blocks – your ‘do now’ actions and habits.

If you would like to define your goals and make 2016 your best year yet then click HERE to download your FREE copy of the 2016 Confidence & Clarity Planner. Alterntively use the form below.

Wishing you a very happy and successful 2016,

Love

Marie x

PS If you would like more help to establish your goals, or for more information on my Confidence & Clarity coaching & styling services please contact me on 07554883046 or mariehaycocks@certanovo.com or via www.certanovo.com.