About half of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, and many of those goals are abandoned by February. U.S. Bank Goals Coach Eddie Rivera shares some advice for business owners, families and individuals on setting goals that stick – any day of the year.
“What’s done is done. What’s gone is gone. One of the best life lessons I’ve learned is how to let go and move on,” Eddie says.
That doesn’t mean ignoring the past altogether. In fact, you should look to your experiences, including failures, as a source of wisdom. If you tried a business strategy that didn’t produce the results you wanted, bring the team together to discuss what you could learn and do differently next time. If you abandoned your New Year’s resolution before Groundhog Day, approach the failure with curiosity instead of self-criticism.
“Those lessons and learnings from the past are greater when you get to use them in the future,” Eddie says. “They make you stronger.”
If you’re already thinking about what your resolution will be next year, don’t wait for January. Eddie considers New Year’s resolutions a form of procrastination.
“Why would you wait 12 months to make resolutions about goals for your life, health, career, finances or future?”
Instead, he encourages people to begin with the first step: setting meaningful goals.
Eddie suggests setting thoughtful, ambitious goals that come from a place of personal meaning and inspiration. If you are emotionally connected to your goal, you will be more motivated to keep working toward it.
“Don’t let the past take from you what the future has for you. Greatness comes from looking ahead.”
U.S. Bank goals coaches use a process called goals discovery to help clients identify and prioritize their most significant life goals.
Habits are patterns of behavior, repeated over time. If your habits don’t align with your goal, then you won’t move forward.
“Pause for a moment and think about this: If you continue doing what you are doing, you’re going to continue getting what you are getting,” Eddie says. “And if what you are getting is not what you want, then you owe it to yourself to make a change. It’s time to make different choices.”
Eddie suggests clients prioritize their personal growth by improving their skills and seeking additional resources to help achieve their goals. For a business owner planning a strategic pivot, this might mean taking courses to learn new skills or enlisting the help of a coach or mentor.
“Investing in yourself means believing that you’re capable of more than what you’re currently doing, personally, professionally, physically, financially, spiritually, in every aspect of your life,” Eddie says. “It also requires, at times, foregoing all other activities to invest in yourself and your business. Spend your time doing things in order to learn, grow and create value. This is the time to invest in you, so that you can achieve the best of you.”
Language matters, and Eddie recommends his customers use positive statements to describe their goals and next steps. Here’s one to start with:
“My best days are ahead of me. Great things, people, opportunities, health, peace and prosperity are available to me.”
Setbacks are inevitable, and long-term goals require resilience.
“Never let temporary – or even permanent – adversities make you abandon your longstanding goals. Choose yourself, today. Choose to live your today not as a bystander – not as a prisoner to the past and beliefs that keep you stuck – but to instead live as a designer of your future, engaged in the new possibilities in front of you,” Eddie says.
For many people, the hardest part of achieving a goal is finding the momentum to get started. Eddie encourages anyone reading this article to consider this their personal call to action:
“This is the time to be bold and leap forward in the direction of your dreams. Fear and self-doubt have no place in your life. Trust that you will recognize the perfect people and determine the best opportunities that will help you turn your goals and dreams into reality. Nothing can stop you as you pursue them with enthusiasm and confidence. Let this be the time, the moment, the day you leap into the life you’re meant to live.”
For more advice from U.S. Bank Goals Coach Eddie Rivera, read on for ways to stay positive when searching for a job.
To learn more about goals coaching or schedule a free goals discovery session, visit usbank.com/exploremygoals.