Happy New Year! Happy New . . . YOU!

Now, are you ready?  Ready to start creating the next version of yourself?  The idea of New Year goals is probably either exciting, or raises your “not again” eyebrows.  Because most of us either have had repeated success at setting and achieving them in the past, or failed often enough to forever quit.

If you’re in the latter group, rolled your eyes, and are still here, you’re obviously hanging onto the hope that there just must be something you’ve been doing wrong.  And that can be pretty frustrating.  After all, you’ve been on the planet long enough to have figured this out, right?

But what if I told you it’s more about perspective than the actual goal?  What if you could re-frame your outlook and feel and see success much more often?  Here are three ways to do that.  And you won’t have to wait until December 31, 2017 to give yourself a big pat on the back!

Forget “I Can Be Happy When . . .”

In case you haven’t noticed, you don’t live in the future.  You live right here, right now.  Not six months from now. Not when you get that promotion or new car or new house.  And not even when you’ve moved to that paradise you’ve been dreaming about.

While all of those things may in reality turn out to be wonderful,  you can’t experience that wonderfulness in the present.  So if you’ve attached being happy to that future time, you’re cheating yourself out of being happy now.  Or at least cut your portion of happiness down to a morsel so small you’re going to be starved of satisfaction.

So make plans. Dream.  Dream big.  And go for it.  But remember to look around you right now.  In all likelihood, you’re living in a moment that you once dreamed about and said, “I can be happy when . . .”  Be grateful, be happy, for what you have and who you are and where you are right now.

Life Isn’t Static

One of the easiest mistakes to make when setting goals is failing to remember that life is not static.  The world is going to be different tomorrow and next month.  And so will you.   So binding yourself to the notion that your goals are set in stone is not only unrealistic, it’s likely to leave you frustrated.

Instead, be like the navigator on a huge ocean liner.  Know where you’re headed.  Be prepared to make adjustments as the currents and weather change. Every little while, make course adjustments.  And even be open to the possibility that unforeseen circumstances may lead you to changing your destination completely.   Why continue sailing to a port that no longer serves your highest aspirations?

Celebrate Along The Way

Putting your head down and getting to the work at hand is great.  But it can make for a very exhausting and unrewarding journey from where you are to where you want to be.  So remember to take regular assessments of your progress.  Look back to the distance you’ve come, and reward yourself.

Keep a constant perspective of where you are in relation to both your  starting point and your goal.  It’s not only okay, it’s beneficial to give yourself a pat on the back for what you’ve accomplished.  If you have a hard time with that, consider it like tasting little samples of the gourmet feast you’re in the process of preparing.  You’ll find it actually is a source of excitement and propels you forward.

Use these tips when putting your New Year goals together.  When next December 31 rolls around, you’ll be able to celebrate not only where you are, but the journey that brought you there.

 

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