What’s your new year’s resolution? To lose weight?  Get a new job?  End a toxic relationship? Statistics show that most of us won’t achieve our goals because at some point it will get difficult and defeat will set in. What can you do to increase the chances of success?

Here are 5 tips to help you along the way:

BELEIVE. Do you believe and have faith that your goal can come true? Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. What evidence is there in the things you do and say to show your belief? If you know you don’t believe deep down inside, don’t ignore it. Trace back to your past and find what made you believe you can’t achieve it; address the root cause.

THOUGHTS.  When you think about achieving your goals, what do you see? Do you see yourself working steadily? Is your self-talk encouraging you or destroying you with “this is a waste of time, why am I bothering?” To achieve results your thoughts must work for you not against you.  Check in on your thoughts regularly. If you catch yourself thinking negatively, replace the thought with a positive one. You have the power to choose what you think about.

PERSISTENCE. You’ve heard the expression “life is a marathon, not a sprint” the same principle applies to your goals.  In January, people are buzzing with motivation and take massive action. This lasts for a few months at best and then it’s back to square one. It’s better to do one thing consistently over time than do big things for one week. For instance, if you want to lose weight, take 1 sugar in your coffee instead of 3 or walk 10 minutes 4 times a week. If you decide to cut sugar with immediate effect and walk every day, sooner or later you will be discouraged. Start with baby steps and build up.

LEARN AND RESEARCH. Make a study of what you want to achieve. Read books, Google information, attend, webinars, conferences, workshops and so on. Find people that have already accomplished what you want to do, have a coffee with them and ask questions; form a mentoring relationship. The past experiences of others are fertile soil for you to learn and grow at a faster rate.

ACKNOWLEDGE. Celebrate and acknowledge your small victories. This will motivate and encourage you to keep going.  If your goal is to get a new job for example, acknowledge that you’ve done well for sending your CV to 10 companies. When you get called for an interview, celebrate the fact that you got called; give yourself a pat on the back for the progress you’ve made. Some celebrate with a glass of wine or kinds words to self or sharing the joy with a friend. Whatever your thing is, do it wholeheartedly and mark a moment in time.  

Enjoy the journey and if things don’t go the way you planned, feel the pain/frustration etc.; sit in it a little, but don’t dwell there. Forgive yourself and press on. If you quit, your chances are cut to zero. If you persist, the possibilities are endless.