Women's Life Link Be Well, Be Happy, Be YOU!
Whether you’re looking to find love, drop a dress size or change your career, there is no better time to work toward self-improvement than now. Since we are at the beginning of a new year, I recommend taking an inventory of what you love about your life and what you could gladly leave behind. This assessment helps to clarify what you want to accomplish in the coming months.
Regardless of what you want to work on, there will be challenges and pitfalls along the way. That’s sort of the nature of success. Therefore, it’s important to have a plan you can follow for guidance as you work toward your goals. Here are a few tried and true actions to turbo-boost success this year!
Set Clear Goals
It’s difficult to stick to anything if you’re vague, from the beginning, about what you’re trying to achieve. If your goal is to lose weight, then be specific about the amount. Additionally, set a timeframe in which you’d like to achieve this goal. A lack of clarity is the enemy of success for most targets. Set clear, measurable goals and decide on rewards for achieving them. That way you have something exciting to work toward. When you reach a goal, set a new one, so you continually grow.
There is also something about writing down your dreams and goals somewhere you can see them often. I use a journal and a large whiteboard in my office to solidify what I want to accomplish for a given timeframe. Make this part of your plan fun and practice it consistently.
Don’t Go it Alone
Though there are many things we do alone in life, it’s seldom that a true success journey is met without help. Some women find it difficult to ask for help for several reasons. First, they may not trust that anyone else has the skills, patience, or standards that line up with hers. Second, she may not want to burden others with her goals. And, third, she may be afraid to put herself and her projects out there for someone to judge. I get it, but asking for help and guidance is a part of life and reaching our potential.
For example, if you’re a business owner, consider hiring a business coach or consultant to help with strategic planning for what lies ahead. Of course, this kind of help will cost you some money upfront, but they can often save you time and money in the long run.
Another example is one for personal help. How about asking your best friend to help you meet some new people. This could be a breakthrough for you in meeting someone special if you’ve been lonely. Just being open with your friends and family about your needs is a perfect way to move forward to your goals.
Similarly, if you’re training for a marathon or trying to lose weight, there are few things more motivating than having a buddy by your side for the journey. Not only will he/she keep you stay motivated if you start to stray, but you can do the same for him/her.
Evaluate as You Go
It’s great to have a clear and measurable goal to chase. However, if you approach this in a way that doesn’t work for you, you’re less likely to reach your goal. Worse still, you might become so frustrated by feelings of failure that you give up altogether.
It’s worth doing research and putting strategies in place before you begin. That way, if you try one way and discover it doesn’t work, you already have an alternative plan. Additionally, it’s important to evaluate your progress along the way. Be honest with yourself and don’t make excuses if you aren’t doing your best. Get back to your plan as soon as you can and try again.
Be Kind to Yourself
If you wouldn’t want someone to say certain things to your kids or best friend, don’t say those things to yourself. In other words, be kind by supporting who you are (all of YOU)! The truth is, we are far more likely to achieve our dreams and goals if we’re cheering ourselves on with the fervor we would our favorite sports team.
It’s important to recognize your accomplishments and support yourself impeccably through challenges. Negative internal language and the words that slip out are destructive and do nothing to help you be successful. A little self-love and empathy go a long way to empower your life and springboard you to your potential.
Remember, success is also a subjective thing. Never compare your accomplishments or lack thereof to someone else’s. The person you are in competition with is you and you alone. Try breaking your own records and focus on being happy while in the midst of bettering yourself. Success will find you when you are focused, patient, and good to yourself.
