Are you already getting that knot in your stomach just thinking about what will happen when all hell breaks loose the first week of January? You need to organize your desk, make to-do lists, follow up, enter data, and most importantly—set your yearly goals. We’ve all read that people who set goals do better and achieve more. So let’s get with it quickly.
How has that been working for you so far?
Truth is, we are all different and there is no one-size-fits-all formula. Ever. Evidence of this becomes clear to me each year during the holidays. It’s funny how the same issue (in my case, a family Secret Santa instead of regular gift giving) makes one person boiling mad, another finds it funny, the next person gets embarrassed, and someone else is completely indifferent. The same gift makes one person jump up and down with excitement while another family member rolls his or her eyes – how could you…
If the usual goal setting like losing 10 pounds by spring or nailing that promotion hasn’t exactly littered your past with success stories, you may want to consider a different approach this year.
Here is one to try: positive reinforcement.
On a search for a good angle about New Year’s resolutions, I came across this great article published by Buzzfeed.com. They recommended creating a “rememberlutions jar” where you collect small notes about all your successes during the course of the year. At the end of the year you can look back at all you’ve done and feel proud of your awesomeness.
What would happen if we switched gears and instead of chasing of our goals we remember what we consistently accomplish?
In The Women’s Code book, Happy Woman Happy World, this is part of an exercise I describe in ego-RHYTHM® because most of us never think about what we have already achieved. We do something great then brush it off immediately and move on to the next task, never stopping long enough to actually enjoy the moment.
If you are like me and are tired of chasing an often vague goal that you hope to get to at some time in the future, you prohibit yourself from living here and enjoying what you have. Make this your goal for 2015: be present, enjoy the now, and celebrate what you did today.
Here are a few ideas to get you started on celebrating your awesomeness. Looking back at 2014, whom did you meet who made a difference in your life? Did you get a new car, move to a new city, buy a house, close a big deal, reach your sales goals, create an event, come up with a brilliant new business idea, etc…?
Feeling good comes from doing well. In 2015, let’s focus on really seeing our own brilliance, no matter how small or insignificant it may appear at first. It is impossible to not feel good when you know in your heart that you are doing well.
Let’s start right now being proud of what we have done. For me, it’s designing my corporate initiative, The Bitch and Bully-Free Office—launching in spring 2015.
And you, what are you proud of?
