GOALS for 2020

As 2019 rolls around to an end we tend to reflect on a lot of the negatives that may have happened over the year. That is a very common practice with myself and with most people that I speak too, we tend to dwell on the negatives as a whole.

So, I want to encourage you all to spend some time over the next couple of days to analyse not only what your biggest lessons of 2019 were, but also what your biggest positives were too.

Once you reflect on 2019, you can start to plan and prepare for 2020 with intention. 

In 2020, THE BOD focus will hugely be on overall health- including mindset! 

When it comes to planning for a new year, I want to encourage you all to swap your  resolutions and change them to goals instead. I believe that when we set goals for ourselves that reflect our core values and beliefs, we are truly living with intention and living authentically. 

When you start planning your 2020 goals, I want to encourage you all to set SMART GOALS:

S=specific⁣

M=measurable⁣

A=achievable ⁣

R=relevant⁣

T=time⁣

Before you start to plan 2020, I always find it’s best to buy a big yearly planner that shows the entire year on it. Put it on a wall somewhere so that you can easily see it every day. By having a big planner, you can start with your 12 month goals and then work back from there.

5 keys areas in your life that you could set your goals for are:

• Health & Fitness
• Spiritually
• Careers
• Self development & Growth
• Relationships

Once you’ve got your 12 months goals sorted, you can then break them down into 9,6 and 3 month goals. Once you’ve broken your goals down, you will see how much easier it will be to achieve them over the year.

GOALS: 

• Health & Fitness

• Spiritually

• Careers

• Self development & Growth

• Relationships

Once your goals are set, you can then put in an execution plan of how you’re going to achieve them. The best way I find to do this, is by using the planner and time blocking your weeks in advance. By putting time blocks in your planner and setting aside time in your week to work on your goals, you have no excuse when it comes to working on them. 

Make sure you also add all of your other life tasks to the planner to like work, family time, appointments etc. Treat your goal time blocks like you would any other appointment, it’s a non negotiable that you have to do.

Visualise your goals

When it comes to awakening your true calling, success begins with a goal. Big or small, goals will give you some purpose and keep you headed in the right direction.

Unfortunately, for many of us, we remain stuck at the goal stage. We begin with good intentions, but then we can't seem to make it happen. Before we can believe in a goal that we've set for ourselves, we first need to have an idea of what the goal looks like. Seeing is Believing This is where visualization comes in, which is nothing more than a technique for creating a mental image of a future event. When we visualize that which we desire, we start to see the possibility of achieving it. It is through visualization that we can catch a glimpse of what is our “preferred future.” When this happens, we find the motivation and prepare ourselves to pursue our goal. Why Visualization Works According to research, visualization works because the neurons in our brains, interpret the imagery as equivalent to real-life action. When we can visualize an act, the brain generates an impulse that tells the neurons to perform the movement. This then creates a new neural pathway that helps prime the body to act in a way that is consistent with what we just imagined.

All of this happens without actually performing the activity physically, yet it achieves a similar result. Putting it All Together Visualization will keep you tethered to your goals and increase your chances of accomplishing them. It doesn’t matter who you are, the power of visualization is available to everyone. There are two kinds of visualization techniques. While each serves a distinct purpose, they should be used together to have the most significant effect. The first method is outcome visualization, which involves you envisioning achieving your goals. To do this, you need to create a detailed mental image of the desired outcome. The second visualization technique is called process visualization. This involves envisioning every action required to achieve the result you want. To do this, you need to focus on completing each of the steps you need to accomplish your goals, but not on the overall purpose itself. Visualization does not guarantee success, and it doesn't replace hard work and practice. However, when combined with diligent effort, it is a powerful way to achieve positive, behavioral change and create the life you desire.

3 Emotional traps to avoid

Being prepared for these negative emotions can keep you from sabotaging your successful progress towards unlocking the amazing potential inside you.

Feeling Discouraged

Some goals will take longer than others, and it can get discouraging when you feel like you aren’t making the amount of progress you should be. One way we can get discouraged is when we compare ourselves to others. Maybe you have a friend who reached a similar goal in a shorter time than you and you are beginning to wonder if you have it in you to access your full potential. You may feel that reaching the goal is taking much more effort than you expected. When you start to feel discouraged is the perfect time to go back and read over why you started this process in the first place. Looking at your big why can renew your motivation for reaching your ideal outcome.

Feeling overwhelmed

Sometimes we have several big goals to accomplish if we want to unlock our potential. Trying to work on them all at once can leave us feeling overwhelmed. When our mind is filled with important tasks that need to be accomplished, we may lose sight of which should be done first or which one is the most vital to our success. The best thing to do is to work on one outcome at a time so this doesn’t happen. Then, go back to the plan you made for reaching that outcome. Maybe you need to break down the action steps into smaller bite-sized tasks. Or perhaps you need to only tackle one task towards your goal per day. This can be challenging when you want to reach your potential quickly, but slow and steady progress will make you more likely to succeed in the end. It’s okay to slow down and take it step-by-step.

When you have self-doubt

Different things can cause self-doubt. Hitting an unexpected obstacle or making slower progress than you’d hoped for can leave you wondering if the goal is attainable. Ways to re-engage in your goal is to tap into your support system. Get a little encouragement from people who believe in your abilities. You might also want to pull out your journal and do some freewriting about your feelings. This is a great way to discover the root of the issue. Finally, go back to your big why. Review your reasons for taking on this goal. Between these three things, you’ll find the encouragement you need to carry on and be successful.

By having everything planned out in advance, you can clearly see what you have coming up. I find it’s best to look at your planner each night, so that you wake up with a clear vision of what you’re going to achieve that day.

Don’t be too hard on yourself either, if you have a set back or something goes wrong, that’s okay! Life happens! Take it as a lesson, maybe reassess your goals and move forward from there.

Here’s to an amazing 2020 to each and every one of you! Join our community by using the hashtag #thebodchallenge #thebod on socials!