5 Steps to Success in 2019
Many people recognize the beginning of a new calendar year as an opportunity for change. Healthy eating habits are reinstated, gym membership statistics rise, mindsets shift, goals are set. While it can be easy to kickstart the new year in the first few days, what happens as the hype subsides and we lose our motivation? How do we keep our stamina, hone our focus and continue to be successful? Here are five things successful people do at the beginning of a new year to maintain their success.
Remember rest and recovery. The holidays are a time for many to slow down — people take time off work, visit friends and family and allow themselves to indulge. While the start of a new year is a major time for productivity, it is impossible to achieve success without prioritizing your overall wellbeing. Successful people practice self-care through a variety of daily activities. Whether through meditation, exercise, reading or journaling — establishing a routine that includes something that brings you joy and allows you to rest is an important step towards success.
Assess and focus on your goals. A best practice among successful people for achieving goals is to qualify them using the SMART mnemonic device. SMART, which stands for (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely) helps you identify your goals in realistic terms — otherwise, you could easily become overwhelmed with the notion of achieving them all at once, and ultimately fail by default. Once you have determined if your goals are in fact SMART goals, work towards them with intention. Consider your past behavioral patterns and attitude; learn from and build off your past experiences as you work toward change. Try to evaluate your progress and be mindful as you grow — you will not be successful if you do not monitor (and celebrate) your progression along the way.
Stay organized. Many accomplished people cite an organization as a major key to productivity. Whether it is de-cluttering your work/living space, buying an itemized calendar, making lists, preparing food ahead of time, color coding, setting alarms or delegating tasks: creating a more organized “outside” can aid in a clearer mind and allow you more time to focus on your goals. Being unorganized can induce stress and compromise your time, energy and focus (all of which you need operating at high, positive functionality to optimize success). Figure out some best practices for your personality (e.h., Does it help you to write things down? Do you prefer to keep track of your to-do lists on an app?) and implement them into your routine.
Practice gratitude. Most accomplished people do not achieve success all on their own; we usually require a little help from our friends (and/or mentors, peers and colleagues). Truly successful people remember the opportunities, favors, and forgiveness granted to them by others and develop a deep appreciation and humility for it. By developing meaningful relationships with others and expressing your gratitude for them, you will begin to manifest success and opportunity. Awareness of the things and people who aided in your journey is another component to achieving prosperity; be grateful for how far you have come.
Visualize success. As you continue to reflect on your previous year and focus intently on the present moment, keep in mind exactly what it is you hope to achieve. Envision your future and imagine the possibilities you can create as you evolve. On your journey for success, it is important to remember not just where, but why you started. Successful people often believe William Arthur Ward’s sentiment that “if you can imagine it, you can achieve it.” Focus on manifesting your dreams into reality.
