New Year Goal Setting

From http://news.icoachacademy.com/2007/01/12/new-years-resolution-2007/#more-51

For some people the New Year is a time to outline what the next year ahead will hold for them and any changes they want to bring about in their life. But what makes it that some goals we set are achieved and others slip by the way side?

A global study is currently underway to find the best way to keep New Year resolutions or goals. A professor of the public understanding of psychology wants to find out why some people manage to stick to decisions to change something about their life, while other best intentions do not last long. The University of Herfordshire in the UK where the study is being done, hopes that thousands of people will take part in the online experiment, which also aims to reveal what types of people are most successful at sticking to New Year resolutions.

Part of being a coach is working with people to support them in achieving their goals. One of the skills used at ICA is called Commitment vs Trying. The basis of this skill is to determine whether we are really committed to a particular goal or outcome or are we just trying to do it and commitment is absent from it. Many people making New Year’s resolutions often try to make many goals and this in itself can become overwhelming. Too many goals or not aligning your goals with who you really are or want to be will also lead to your goals just becoming a conversation around midnight on the 31st of December each year and nothing more.

So here are a few things to consider as you make your New Year's resolutions:
1. What do you value most?
2. What are your 5 key values?
3. Write down one goal that you want to achieve next year.
4. Does this goal align with any of your 5 values? (if it doesn’t then either your values are not aligned with your goals or you need to revisit your values)
5. What is the first step you need to take to begin to achieve this goal?
6. Get a coach to support you in achieving your goals.

The main benefit of achieving a goal is the increased sense of self esteem that we feel. Our confidence builds and we start to see ourselves as achievers. This mindset puts us in a great position to continue to write down more goals and to achieve them.

And so remember overall though that the greatest achievement may not actually be the goal at the end but rather the process you took to get there.