Pacesetting for the new year.

Happy new year fam! I wish you all good things.

I’m sure we wished the same last year and while good things may or may not have happened, we are grateful for another year. 2020 was a long ride on a short road and we hope for a better year.

While some see the beginning of a new year as just another day or a social construct, its significant to many others who see it as a fresh slate for new goals and opportunities and that requires pace setting. I happen to fall into the latter category and if you to, you should hang on. Every year comes with a will to do more, to drop some habits or burdens, to unwind, to build and what not. Without adequate pacesetting for your goals, laxity sets in as the year unfolds. In lieu of this, i will be sharing some pace setting tips to achieve your goals or keep up with your resolutions.

Pacesetting tips;

1. Develop habits and patterns that are aligned with your goals: your life is really a some total of your habits and patterns, little wonder the saying ” if you want to change your life, start with your habits”. I read an article by Destiny Ogegbede where this fact was emphasized. Quoting him;

I have found that the desire of people to achieve and do extraordinary things is defeated mostly by habits- not lack of inspiration. This inability to push through habits, is why people run away when they realize it takes a lot to finish a lengthy course or stay up late at night to read with no imminent exams…our will succumbs to the yearnings of compulsive behavior…

Whatever your goal is in the coming year, you must make conscious effort to build habits that are aligned with it, this way, you have increased tendency to be consistent. Since on this course, i found this interesting tweet by Daniel Buter, this time laying emphasis on the importance of dedicating the fist days and months of the year to building habits that are aligned with your goal. Check this out;

Build strong systems by developing habits and keeping these habits consistent.

Daniel Buter

…watch your habits, they become your character. watch your character, it becomes your destiny,

–Motto, Metropolitan Milwaukee YMCA

2. Write down your goals and resolutions: it is trite that writing is one of the surest forms of accessing clarity. Clarity itself is an important part of goal setting. When you write down your goals, they are not only clearer, they are easier to track and assess. Writing them down also involves creating strategies and work plans to attain those goals. Write, strategize, plan and set timelines.

Until you commit your goals to paper, you have intentions that are seeds without soil.

Anonymous.

write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.

Habbakuk 2;2 NKJV

3. Execute: This is usually the seemingly difficult part. Its easier to say a thing or write it down than to do it. However, will power and the combination of the first two steps (developed habits and patterns, clarity) aid execution. The only tip is to do it. Starve procrastination and get to it. Start taking the necessary steps to achieve your goals, follow your work plan and just do it.

The secret of getting ahead is getting started

Zig ziglar

4. Track and assess your progress: this is because as the year unfolds, things come up and sometimes we get distracted. Tracking keeps you on track and its easier when you set timelines to attaining your goals. Recognize set-backs and work on them.

5. Appreciate your progress: this is important you make more progress. Perfectionism is an enemy of true progress, it rubs your of the happiness that comes with it. Remember to breathe, recognize and appreciate your progress. We don’t always achieve all our goals for a new year. Sometimes, things don’t always work as planned, it’s one of the lessons of 2020. However, it is not an excuse to not plan and if it doesn’t work out the way you planned, appreciate the progress you made. Live through the process.

Those are my pacesetting tips, I intend to work with these tips too. I hope it is beneficial to you and I wish you a fulfilling year. Whatever happens, live through the process, burn outs or over working are not to be glorified.

That’s it for today’s blogsode guys. Feel free to share other pacesetting tips that have worked for you in the comment section. Remember to share and sign up for more. Ciao!