“And now let us welcome the New Year. Full of things that have never been.” ~ Rainer Marias Rilke
Starting the New Year with renewed energy and a zest for life is the best feeling ever.
You are bursting with enthusiasm; there is a clear stretch of 365 days ahead, you have a perfectly clean sheet on which you are going to write in your best script everything you want to achieve this year. The list ends up filling several pages of your beautiful new note book purchased specifically for this task and you are just dying to start ticking things off. The challenge is there and you are ready – “bring it on”!
Ding, Ding, Ding – reality check! This arrives about 1 March when you’ve probably lost the book, you are gorging on chocolate cake as punishment for not sticking to your diet and you have only had one of those monthly massages you promised yourself, let’s not even talk about the gym membership.
I think we have a touch of the Superwoman Syndrome here! We are all absolutely convinced that there is no reason whatsoever that we can’t achieve everything in that beautiful notebook, and believe it or not it is actually achievable. We just need to remember that being a Superwoman just takes a bit of savvy and planning. There is of course, about 0.2% of the female population that are naturally born Superwomen, but for the rest of us it is a skill we need to learn.
Lesson 1 – Don’t try to achieve all your goals in the first 6 weeks of the year. Plan a new goal for each month so you have something fresh and new to put your mind to.
Lesson 2 – Make your goals realistic. Hey, dream the biggest dream you can for yourself, but remember greatness is achieved one step at a time.
Lesson 3 – Share your goals with your partner, family or friend. Let them know you are serious about achieving these goals and that you “demand” their support – why not you deserve it!
Lesson 4 – Make time for yourself. It is too easy to get caught up in family and work commitments, but in order to give your best to these you need some time to recharge. Schedule time in your calendar for yourself to give you the best possible opportunity to achieve your goals.
Lesson 5 – Don’t Beat Yourself Up – if you miss a gym session or don’t get to clear out that cupboard this month, don’t be too hard on yourself. Keep the task on your list and keep working towards it.
Lesson 6 – Outsource. Whether that is a cleaner, gardener, personal trainer, ironing lady or a Personal Concierge, get help. Pass the chores you don’t want to do or don’t have time to do on to someone else, and free up more time to focus on your goals.
There is absolutely no reason you can’t achieve all your goals, and succeed in everything you wish for yourself. All it takes is a little bit of planning and savvy.