So 2019 has finally hit! With a new year brings new challenges, new goals and reaffirmed desires to conquer the world!
That can mean different things to different people, but below are a few key tips you can use in 2019 if you are looking to get ahead, make a difference at work and even land your next great career opportunity.
#1. Start Small
If you want to get ahead this year and truly set your world on fire, it’s critical that you set realistic expectations for yourself.
Nothing can be more damaging to your long-term mental state as failure can be. But if you try and conquer a million different priorities at once, you’ll surely fail on achieving most of them.
So when setting your goals for the year, draft up your dream list, then toss it in the garbage and instead start small and let those goals snowball into something bigger.
#2. Find Your Balance
I know you want to conquer the world – so do I. But not only is it important to start small and be realistic, it’s also critical to stay balanced.
To do this, I recommend compartmentalizing your goals. For me – I set a few goal buckets each year to help keep me balanced. They include:
- Personal Goals – What do I want to achieve that is meaningful to just me?
- Family Goals – This includes goals on how I can build better relationships with my spouse, my children and other family and friends.
- Fitness Goals – These may fall in line with your personal goals, but setting fitness and wellbeing goals are critical if you want to achieve your other goals. Because if you aren’t healthy (mentally and physically), you aren’t going to achieve anything this year!
- Business Goals – What do I really want to achieve this year at work? Do I want a new job? A new challenge? Finally launch my own business?
- Financial Goals – I’m a big believer in paying yourself first. That means setting those financial goals that are important to you and doing everything in your power to achieve them.
By setting categories and defining the areas in your life you want to focus on, you will make more headway and keep a healthy level of balance throughout the year.
#3. Stay Focused
Ok so you set your goals, now what?
Well, what I do each week is a recap on what I achieved. Did I read my book this week or run my 10 miles? Some weeks you may feel like you didn’t accomplish sh*t – and that’s ok.
Just keep going and start over next week!
#4. Adapt and Survive
Life is definitely going to happen this year, and you’ll without a doubt have a few curve balls thrown at you – some may even knock you down.
But that’s ok – because that’s life. If something happens to you that completely throws you off course, don’t be discouraged. Instead, re-evaluate your priorities, make some decisions and toss out the goals that no longer make sense.
Goal achievement isn’t about achieving every goal you set for yourself on January 1st. It’s about staying positive and adaptive throughout the journey, accomplishing what you can and letting the rest go.
#5. Keep the Faith
Last year was a pretty difficult year. We lost a few family members, a few got sick, there were job changes and unexpected financial challenges. But life was still good.
When times get tough, it’s important to take a breath. The Universe has a plan for you and even if you aren’t able to see the clear path right now, the fog will eventually clear.
So stay humble, stay faithful and if you hit roadblocks – just know that you WILL overcome them.
#6. Be Brave
Being brave is freakin’ hard!
When you are the only one in the room to stand up and shout, it can feel like the scariest thing on Earth. But bravery is one of those skills you should force yourself to develop this year if you want to get ahead.
You weren’t put on this Earth to follow others. You were put here to have your own unique voice and make a difference to the world and the people around you.
But you can’t do that if you are a YES man or YES woman – so stop following the herd of sheep walking aimlessly off the cliff and instead be the leader and work hard to wrangle the cattle away from danger.
#7. Be Open
Let’s face it – we all think we’re right 100% of the time. It’s human nature to think that what our brain says must be true, and sometimes it’s challenging to take our rose-colored glasses off.
But this year, if you really want to get ahead I challenge you to be open to hearing what other people have to say. I mean REALLY open.
Don’t just say yes, but if you have a different opinion on a subject, work hard to truly understand the thought process of the other person.
Sometimes that conversation will end with you walking away thinking that person is a real knucklehead – but there will definitely be times where you’ll walk away with a new, clear perspective on the topic and maybe on life.
And this is how you will really grow my friend.
#8. Make Friends
I don’t mean just make some new friends to head to happy hour with. I mean help the people you work with when they need help and focus on building quality, genuine relationships with as many people as possible.
Despite the billions of people on this planet, the world at work can feel more like a very small town. You never know when you will need a hand or when you’ll run into someone else who does.
So treat others the way you want to be treated and go out of your way to help someone in need. You will feel good about it and so will they.
