The nights are dark, the air is crisp and every other ad on TV mentions the words “this Christmas.” Yup – the season to be jolly is approaching which means that the end of 2013 is imminent.
How has 2013 been for you? How far along did you get with any New Years Resolutions you set more than 11 months ago? Did you score the new job you were after? Gain the promotion you were working towards? Create a deeper, more supportive connection with your partner? Spend more quality time with your children? Have more fun with your friends? Lose that excess weight that’s been bugging you? Plan or go on the spectacular holiday you wanted?
Yes? Yay you! There really is not much else that is as satisfying as moving closer and closer to these sorts of goals if they help you create the kind of lifestyle you want.
If you’ve not quite gotten there yet and are already Thinking “it didn’t happen this year but I’ll DEFINITELY make it happen in 2014” then I would like to stop you in your tracks. Whoa there! “I’ll make it happen next year?!” Your resolve is commendable but you have forgotten one thing. There are (just under) 7.. Yes nearly 7 weeks of 2013 left. You know his much can happen in 7 weeks? Lots – to put it mildly – so with that in mind I would like to share 7 ways that you can progress further to your goals in the last 7 weeks of 2013.
1. Look for a quick win: Are you close to achieving one of your goals but not quite there yet? If you’ve been wanting to spend more quality time with someone for example call them now. This moment. Set a date for 2013. Boom… done.
2. Break it down: No… I’m not encouraging a funky 80s dance move but I am encouraging you to split your goal into parts. For example, if – like a few of my clients – you are working towards gaining your doctorate or your masters, please don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t complete it in 2013 as you had hoped. Sometimes life really does get in the way or you have been missing the motivation. Whatever the case, don’t just decide this is a 2014 goal now. Decide what you can still do this year to progress your goal. Can you write or plan your literature review? Progress your research by booking a few interviews into the diary? Set aside a day or 2 in the library to get away from it all and force yourself to write (you may even find its less busy with everyone focused on shopping for the holidays!). There is no shortage of things you can do to focus and achieve an aspect of your overall goal this year – and you’ll be so proud that you did.
3. Make a plan for the coming week/s. At this time of year, the diary may fill up fast with festive fun – which is fantastic in ways but not fruitful of you still have some things to achieve this year. With that in mind, plan your week to ensure you are diarising ‘goal time’ as if you don’t – that time will be swallowed up.
4. Book a meeting: As most goals involve an ally in some way – book a meeting with that person. That can work for most goals! Book a meeting with the person who will help you make it happen. That could be a personal trainer for a weight loss goal, your coach for a business goal, your manager for a career progression goal, your parents or friends for a goal that requires you to have more support from your networks – you name it and there will be someone who can get you closer to it. Make that meeting today!
5. Tell a friend: this may involve posting info about the goal on social media or just verbally telling a friend or two. When you speak your goals – they become alive! When you speak them to friends, you become accountable as although you won’t have the structure and focus that you’d get from a coach, you will have them then asking you how you’re getting on with it. Accountability greatly helps action. Phone a friend!
6. Write it down: While its helpful to speak a goal it is ESSENTIAL to write it down. Physically write it. Whether its on your iPad or a piece of paper – write or down. There’s huge power in getting it out of your head and onto paper.
7. Make yourself a promise: promise yourself that within the next 7 weeks you will take active steps as per the above towards making something happen so while you look forward to 2014 – you have the momentum of very recent goal achievement success in 2013.
I’d LOVE to know what your remaining 2013 goal is, what you think of the above, what you are going to try and any results you have from implementing these steps. Please do share below!
Gina Visram is a career coach, speaker, mentor and author who works with ambitious, multi-tasking individuals and couples who are ready to work hard at being successful in their careers and personal lives – on their own terms. She has recently published
Happily Ever After for Grown Ups: A Post-Wedding, Blues-Busting Guide for Newlyweds” and is committed to helping people get over overwhelm and achieve the career success/life balance they seek. For more information and to sign up to her free newsletter visit www.limitlesscoaching.com.
