Use These 5 Tips to Help Crush Your 2016 Goals You'll be surprised at how simply writing down your goals helps make them happen.
By Jonathan Long •
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It's now 2016, and that means many of us have made resolutions. It doesn't matter if they are personal or business related -- most people abandon them before coming even close to reaching the end goal. In fact, approximately 25 percent of people won't stick with their resolution for at least seven days. Why?
Related: 10 New Year's Resolutions Entrepreneurs Should Make Every Year
- It's harder than I thought.
- I just don't have the time.
- I'll do it later.
Here are five tips to help you achieve your goals in 2016.
1. Put your goals in writing.
When you write your goals down and strategically place them in plain sight, where they can't be ignored, that act alone makes you constantly think of them. When you constantly obsess about something, it consumes you. Make your goals your dominant thoughts, and you'll have no choice but to work hard until your reach them.
I personally have two huge white boards in my office that stare me in the face. One is for long-term goals, and the other is for short-term goals, which I constantly update on a daily basis. Looking at my goals head-on every single day helps me tremendously.
2. Create a schedule and stick to it.
What is the most valuable asset to an entrepreneur? It's time.
We only have 24 hours in a day. There is no buying more time. While everyone gets the same amount, it's the ones who take full advantage of their time who succeed. For help here, consider several free calendar and scheduling apps that will sync with all of your devices and allow you to maintain a very detailed and strict schedule. Find one that suits your needs and start to maintain a schedule for everything. I use Sunrise because it's a very simple and clean app without any unnecessary features.
Once you begin to schedule everything, from when you work out to when you anticipate accomplishing specific tasks, you will see your productivity shoot through the roof. These actions will naturally help you reach your goals because you'll be staying on a disciplined track.
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3. Identify why you want to reach a specific goal.
You need to have a fire burning inside you that causes you to work through the bumps, obstacles and low points. Achieving worthwhile goals will rarely be smooth sailing all the way until the end.
- Why do you want to start a new business?
- Why are you setting new fitness goals?
- Why do you want to make a change in your personal life?
Once you have identified a clear answer, it will be easy to constantly remind yourself why you are doing the task you're doing. This is important because instances will arise when the goal gets more difficult or even seems impossible.
4. Surround yourself with supportive and like-minded individuals.
Surrounding yourself with like-minded people who share the same desire as you to succeed creates an environment of encouragement and motivation. The same can be said about supportive family and friends. While they may not understand exactly what you go through the way another entrepreneur would, they can offer support and encouragement when you need a little extra kick in the ass.
You need to be 100 percent focused to reach your goals, so eliminate toxic people from the picture. These people will attempt to drag you down to their level. Yes, it's not always easy to push people away, but sometimes that has to be done. So, don't feel selfish or guilty -- sometimes you have to put yourself first, and there is nothing wrong with that.
5. Set rewards for yourself.
Rewards are a great way to celebrate specific milestones along the way, as well as when you reach your end goal. Rewards provide motivation and give you something to work toward, which is especially helpful if you have a goal with a difficult path.
I'm a huge fan of setting goals with an attached reward. I have set several goals to grow my agency this year, and each has a small reward attached. A trip to Hawaii to explore and experience the waterfalls is a personal reward I have my eye on; and I also have a fitness-related reward that I'm actually claiming this coming Saturday -- wings and beers!
Rewards can be extravagant or simple. Make them something you will be excited about, and then work hard to claim them!
Related: Become a Productivity Monster by Eliminating These 5 Time-Wasting Habits
