With the new year looming—crazy, yes?—I’ve been really conscious about whether my mindset is in check and working out what I can learn from this year. Yep, that whole reflection thing. Do you do it? Can recommend. Knowing your lessons and goals sets you up so well for a relaxing, refreshing summer where your priorities are beach and books.
I always go back to one of my favourite business models about achieving goals. For years, I’ve used it for pretty much everything. I can’t remember where I got it from or who, but if you’re reading this, you’re a genius and have saved me so many times.
It’s a simple quadrant called Stop, Start, Change and Continue.
First step is Stop. Identify what it is you need to stop in order to achieve your goal. Let’s say, to improve your relationship with your child, partner or workmate. Focus only on what is in your control. If your relationship has deteriorated with someone, you might need to stop the eye rolling when they speak or bring up a particular subject.
Side note: I know this from personal experience. I’m a shocking eye roller.
It might be stopping bad habits. Procrastination. Going to the fridge and eating cheese when you’re trying to lose weight.
Step two is understanding what you need to start going. What are the actions? It might be pausing and listening, it might be drawing a breath, it might be writing out a to do list so you stop the procrastination and gain clarity.
So think about the good habits you need to start in place of the bad. Yep, you knew this was coming—allocating time to do social media rather than spending hours scrolling. Not trashing your mind watching the news on a continuous loop that takes you down a rabbit hole. Not buying into other people’s problems.
Step three is understanding what happens if you tweak things a bit in the hunt for better results. It might be as simple as adjusting your morning routine to find extra time and headspace. Are you packing too much in? Is your goal of exercising for an hour before work realisitic or is it putting stress on the other parts of your day, making you crabby and uncreative?
Step four is to continue getting clarity on everything you do really well that’s working for you. We all tend to focus on the negatives and what we’re falling over at, instead of being our own cheerleader about the positives. Get conscious about what’s working for you and leverage what you can from that to take into the new year.
I follow these four steps every year … can recommend!