By Mason Jones, CFP®
It is easy to forget why we are here, what we want, and most importantly, what we value because of the mundane details of everyday life. With that said, since we are a month into the new year, there is no better time than right now to share a few concepts that if you implement will improve the likelihood of you achieving any goal in life, not just financial.
Mindset – find it, then hold on.
First, you need to check in on your mindset and see if the “why” is still there. Maybe four weeks ago you had the right mindset and you lost it or perhaps you were not in the right mindset to begin with. The bottom line is life is full of reasons however, you must reflect and regain because you cannot commit to a goal and expect to be successful if you do not know “why” you are getting up earlier or eating food that does not taste as good. The list of sacrifices someone can endure is endless so you must ask yourself, “why it is important to me and how will it change my life”? Once you have confirmed or know why you are putting yourself though whatever you are doing, write it down, remind yourself daily, and see what happens!
Fight procrastination.
If your list keeps growing, and nothing is getting checked off you are most likely procrastinating. This happens for a lot of reasons, but you must be able and willing to recognize when this is happening. On the other hand, if you do recognize but justify your actions you are setting yourself up for failure.
Seek feedback.
Regardless of the goal (big or small) you will increase the likelihood of achieving your goal by establishing a support system. Be honest with yourself by checking in with your support system and seek feedback. We do not know what we do not know which is why unbiased communication between yourself and others is paramount with any type of success. If a support system does not exist, please consider one because it will help with holding yourself accountable.
Monitor progress
You will never know how much if any progress you have made if you do not measure or weigh the improvements you have made. Think of it as a “self-review” and compare this to the feedback received from the support system. Remember, it is okay and should be expected that life happens so be at ease knowing course corrections (a minor tweak or sometimes a complete plan overhaul) is required to achieve your goal.
Reward Yourself (within reason)
You should not wait until the end to reward yourself because you may never get there. That may sound pessimistic, however, it is true. All I am saying here is after you check in and receive positive feedback or accomplished a micro-goal take the time and reward yourself because you deserve it. Rewarding yourself will transform your productivity, attitude, and success.
