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It\u2019s that time of year again isn\u2019t it? Where many of us set ourselves New Year\u2019s Resolutions and then fail to reach them within weeks or sometimes days! Despite having the best of intentions most of us aren’t ready to change our habits. There are a variety of reasons for this:<\/p>\n
We Don\u2019t Like Change<\/b><\/p>\n
Sometimes, we are just too comfortable with how we are. Changing will have all sorts of ramifications within our lives. There are things we know that will change. Things that we know we don\u2019t know, but can foresee in some way. There are also things that we don\u2019t know we don\u2019t know. The unknown can feel quite scary so it can seem easier to sit tight.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s Not Us<\/b><\/p>\n
We can often have an idea of how we should be that is dissociated from who we believe we really are. As a result we can have unrealistic expectations of the ways we feel we ought to live. For example, we feel that we should be this way or that way based on things we read in magazines or see in the world around us. Because of this mismatch we fail because the resolutions aren\u2019t really us.<\/p>\n
Owning our Shadows<\/b><\/p>\n
Sometimes we can be our own worst enemies. Even when we might posses our own noble traits we can refuse them and project them onto another. We might want to be like a hero of ours, for example, and instead of embracing our own finest qualities within, our hero acts as a shadow substitute for gold that we could be opening up within ourselves. Again there is fear involved. Holding back from living fully can feel safer sometimes. We need to own our own shadow self to grow.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s Not Smart<\/b><\/p>\n
Sometimes our goals just aren\u2019t that SMART. They aren\u2019t specific, measurable, achievable, relevant or time based enough. An example might be \u201cI want to send more cards this year.\u201d This goal is just too vague. If you want to have a smart goal it would be rephrased as \u201cI want to send at least one card a week for the next 52 weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Achieving goals<\/b><\/p>\n
If you really want to achieve your goals, be prepared to embrace change, make sure your goal is something that is yours and not for someone else, make sure that it\u2019s a smart goal and then be brave in the face of fear or the unknown both externally and within. You never know, it may turn out a lot better than you fear. So, how do you make it happen?<\/p>\n
To be successful with your goals you\u2019ll need to do the following:<\/p>\n
Find Your Why<\/b><\/p>\n
To be sure of sticking with your New Year\u2019s resolutions we have to find a compelling reason to change. Your \u2018what\u2019 is your goal. I\u2019m going to send a card a week next year\u201d is my \u2018what\u2019. Your \u2018why\u2019 drives you towards your purpose. Find a why that inspires you. What is a cause that feels bigger than you? It should feel exciting and perhaps a little daunting. Listen to your feelings on this one.<\/p>\n
Commitment<\/b><\/p>\n
The word \u2018resolution\u2019 means making a firm decision to do or not to do something. Make a firm commitment to your decision at the point of making it. Then take action immediately to make it happen. Do not leave the moment of making a decision to change (that\u2019s fuelled by a purposeful \u2018why\u2019) without doing something towards it\u2019s attainment. If you want to send more cards, list out your friend\u2019s birthdays, go and buy some cards, do something that moves towards this goal. Do it straight away and it will give you momentum.<\/p>\n
Keep it simple<\/b><\/p>\n
It\u2019s better to choose one thing to change than creating a long list. Once you have achieved the first goal you can always add more later. If your list is too long it can be challenging to prioritise and get started. Long lists can also feel unachievable. Your resolutions must be achievable if they are going to be smart so keep it simple.<\/p>\n
Write it down<\/b><\/p>\n
Write down your resolutions on a piece of paper and put this somewhere that you can see it every day. The act of physically writing down your goals externalises them and registers them for yourself in a way that is different to simply carrying them in your head. I know this from my own experience and from successful people I have met in my life.<\/p>\n
Tell Someone<\/b><\/p>\n
Certain personality types respond better to this than others. Being an external reality person rather than an internal reality person, I tell those that I know will be supportive of my goal and I will sometimes tell those that I do not want to let down. I\u2019m always careful not to do this with something unachievable as this will only make me look bad and feel terrible when it doesn\u2019t work out.<\/p>\n
Carrots and Sticks<\/b><\/p>\n
Like getting a donkey to move forward, we can use carrots or sticks to move towards our goals. Using celebrations along the way as rewards for being successful can be great motivators. You can take friends out to dinner or book a holiday as a prize for yourself. We can also use sticks to leverage ourselves to make the change, like telling those important to us or sending money to charity for each day you don\u2019t stick to your plan.<\/p>\n
Support<\/b><\/p>\n
It\u2019s really important to enlist support from those around you to reach your New Year’s Resolutions. Similarly, try to minimise contact with those who may want to hold you back from achieving them. You aren\u2019t the only person afraid of change. Sometimes your loved ones can be afraid of losing you and can get in the way of your achieving your goals. Explain your \u2018why\u2019 to them so that they understand your motivations.<\/p>\n
Resolution Ideas<\/b><\/p>\n
I have a number of things that I have been mulling over as resolutions for this coming year. My ideal resolution would be something personal with cross over for my business. Something that scares me a little and something that will allow me to grow as an individual whilst benefiting others.<\/p>\n
One idea I\u2019ve been thinking a lot about is how to improve our service to our customers. For the fist time in several years we dropped out of the top 25 publishers for customer service at the Henries. Our team is gutted and we are determined to do something about it. We\u2019ve already started and are hoping we will be back on the list later in the year. Whilst this could be a resolution, it is not within our control. It therefore cannot be a smart goal, even though it is something we will be working hard on with new product, faster turnarounds and better communication. We will be specific and measurable in our improvements over the coming six months and then see if that has any effect on our standing in the Henries rankings.<\/p>\n
Other ideas I\u2019ve been mulling over have come from daily gratitude and daily kindness exercises I have been doing in the last month or two. Being more grateful and more kind aren\u2019t specific enough for my resolution though. Plus I practice these regularly anyway.<\/p>\n
Although I am very active in my involvement with our card and gift industry community through my work at the GCA<\/a> and the Giftware Association<\/a>, I still feel that there\u2019s more I can do. I love social media, meeting new people and taking on exciting new challenges so I want something that would encompass all of these things for me personally. I\u2019ve also been experimenting with video this last year and want to do more in this area.<\/p>\n My Resolution<\/b><\/p>\n So… I\u2019ve decided to set up a YouTube channel, called The Greeting Card Project<\/a>, that will run for one year and will include videos of myself and others writing and sending greeting cards to people. I\u2019m going to commit to posting an average of one video a week throughout the year.<\/p>\n This is actually an idea that I’ve wanted to do for a while. I want to send more greeting cards. I am inspired to see how this connects with others, how the experience enhances my life and I hope that it might have a positive effect on card sending around the world.<\/p>\n OK. Now I\u2019ve told you\u2026 I have to do it. If you want to support my project do get in touch.<\/p>\n Watch the first video from The Greeting Card Project<\/a><\/p>\n Looking Back From Perfect – How to achieve your goals<\/a><\/p>\n