🔵 TD Jakes - 7 Steps to a Turnaround (Make It Happen in 2021!) - Motivational Video!
The end of the year is near, and come the end of December/beginning of January there will be a deluge of articles and blog posts about the best New Year's resolutions and the best strategies to achieve them. The beginning of the year is a convenient starting point chronologically, but the best time to set new goals and create a plan to accomplish them is now. The foundation of self-confidence, and ultimately happiness, is hard work. But when there is a lot work to be done, it can be overwhelming- causing you to either give up before you start, or to go in head first without a plan and fail. Big shifts and goals require thoughtful reflection about what you want and what is standing in your way. After you know those things, you can formulate a plan to address them.
Here are the steps you take to get started:
1. Stop Making Excuses
Excuses are what hold you back, and they are almost always the only thing between you and your goal. Identify the excuses you make, and figure out a way to prevent making those excuses. Spending too much time on social media? Download a blocking application. Watching too much television? Work where you do not have access to a TV. Can't find the motivation to go to the gym or go for a run? Force yourself to go, and promise yourself you can work as hard as you want once you arrive- but you have to go. Come up with strategies to combat your excuses, and ways to force yourself to make changes. It is not going to be easy, it is going to be really hard, but you will conquer your first major roadblock on the road to accomplishing your goals.
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2. Set Goals
It's tempting to set big goals, but to start making sustainable progress, it is better to begin with manageable goals. Want to change jobs? Apply to 5 jobs and send 5 introductory emails a week, and build from there. Want to lose weight? Go to the gym two or three times a week, or go on two to three walks a week. Want to change the status of your personal life? Make an effort to be social and put yourself out there, actively ask people to grab a beverage or a meal a couple of times a week. Starting small is how you create a habit. If you run twice a week for a month, you can go three times a week the next month, and then two months after that you're running five times a week. That's a new lifestyle in four months. If you have a base habit to support you, it is easier to build on that then to go head first into running five times a week.
3. Create A Routine
A routine consists entirely of discipline. Disciplined people carve out time to get work done, or exercise, or whatever their goal may be wherever they are, and whenever they have a spare moment. Don't think you have time? Is there a TV show you keep up with? You don't anymore. Spend a lot of time on social media? Get a blocker or deactivate your accounts. You make time for things you care about, if this is a goal you want to achieve you will find the time for it. People who habitually get up and go for a run, stick to a healthy diet and have their dream job built their life by dedicating time to their goals every day- it is the only way to make consistent progress.
4. Hold Yourself Accountable
Saying your goals out loud makes them real- so tell someone you trust your goals and how you plan to achieve them. When you tell someone your goals it means they will inquire about your progress and you will have to tell them. Having someone to check in with every week or two and who you have to report your progress is like having a coach or a teacher you have to answer to- not meeting your goals will have consequences, you won't be able to shrug and move on with your life. Telling people means you are serious about your goals, so telling someone helps hold you accountable.
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5. Track Your Progress
Write down what you have done: whether it is applying for jobs, sending emails for informal interviews, asking more people out for coffee, eating more salad, etc. write it down so you know how you are doing. Not only does it help keep you on track, but it helps remind you that you are doing it. You are taking real steps to accomplish your goals, one day at a time. So write it down!
6. Failure Is Integral To Success
Life happens. There are busy weeks at work, unforeseen events that will prevent you from completing your routine, disasters, your birthday, etc. It does not matter that you fail for one week or one month. What matters is you get back on track every time. Learning to shake off failure and start afresh is the only way you will accomplish your goals. Everyone fails, it can not be a reason you give up. Keep going.
7. Exercise
According to the CDC, "Regular physical activity can help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age. It can also reduce your risk of depression," which will be important as you work your way to your goal. There will be times you are frustrated, and you will want to rely on your old excuses- but you can't. A healthy way to deal with frustration and stress is exercise. Keeping a healthy mindset is integral to making long-term, big change, and exercise is a healthy, natural way to release stress. Changing your life is not easy, so take care of yourself so you can be your best self every day.
