What is so special about a New Year? Why do we make so much fuss about the ending of one year and beginning of a new one, after all each New Year is like all previous years in many aspects.  Without the Gregorian calendar and all the fuss that we make, one year could easily roll into another without anyone taking notice.  So as you roll up your sleeves to draw the curtains on the celebrations that ushered in the new year and all the new resolutions you made, please be aware that nothing will make this year any different from the previous years unless you do things differently from what you did in the past.

 Life is very complex, so many of us are stuck in jobs we don’t love just because it pays the bills, or in abusive relationships just to keep a social status. In other instances some of us are so comfortable with where we are that we dared not think or welcome ‘change’. Then we have those who are too fearful of the future that they are unable to make progressive decisions.

Did you wake up on New Year day reminiscing over the past year and feeling like you spent the entire year running in circles doing the same thing? Do you feel stuck like you are heading nowhere? Tired of the status quo? Stuck in a dead end job? Do you feel exhausted? Does life feel boring?  Do you wake up sometimes asking the following questions? How do I start all over? Do I have the skills? Can I go back to school at this age? Isn’t it too late to live my dream? If your answer to any of these questions is a ‘yes’, then you are definitely not alone. So many eminent personalities that you know and admire have been through that path. They were able to change their fortunes through a change of attitude.

How do we get off this wheel?

 It is simple! We need to stop for a minute (not literally) to Think, Plan and Do.

Think

Start by asking yourself certain basic questions using the six questioning indicators.  What? Why? Where, when? How? Who? For instance… What are my goals? How or what do I need to do to accomplish them? Who can assist me in accomplishing these goals? Why are these goals important? When can I start? Where do I find the solutions that I seek?

Then…

Plan

This is where strategy comes in, you need to be SMART.  You have decided on what your next move is and the steps you need to take to achieve it.

Be Specific – No vague goals. It should be simple, learn a skill, lose weight, save more, get out of debt, change jobs, cut down my operational costs by 25% etc.

Measurable – It should be quantifiable, either by number, volume, weight, monetary value, etc. There should be some form of measurement. If your goal is learning a skill then you should be able to prove the extent you have progressed from being a novice to an expert.

Achievable – Now this is where I struggle with many people.  An example of goal that is not attainable is where an office clerk would say” I want to be the Managing Director in one year”, or a GCSE holder saying “I want to have a PHD in 1 year”.  It isn’t achievable.

One could argue that “you can achieve if you believe”; Oh yes! But to achieve you need to follow steps and have the capability. Yea anything is possible but there are logical steps to follow. No one moves from being a clerk to Director without adequate skills or experience.  You need to set logically achievable goals and take it one step at a time.

Realistic – Do you have the skills or resources to achieve the goals? If you want to start up a business; do you know about it? Do you have the funds or access to funding? If you don’t then the goal isn’t at that point in term except it is a long-term goal and you are actually taking steps now to achieve it.

Timely – Set a time when you want to achieve your goal that way you can plan towards it. Divide your goal into smaller steps it will help you evaluate your progress and also motivate you to achieving it. If there is no time frame you will keep procrastinating because there is no pressure.

Do

Now you have to swing into action.  Remember that nothing happens by dreaming or planning alone. You need to get on with it. Start that small business, make that phone call, write the proposal, apply to college, go to the gym, register in a library and join a social group if that is what you need to move forward. Put an end to excuses and procrastination.  Just do what you have planned to do and   keep going till you reach your goal.

Think back to January 2016. It is just like yesterday. January 2017 will be like yesterday at the beginning of 2018. Tomorrow will meet you still malingering in the same position you are today unless you act fast and take steps to alter the trajectory of your life. The time to take that action is now.