9 Steps to Your Best Year Ever

This February, if you’re like most, your resolutions are already a thing of the past.

If so, don’t panic.

You still have more than enough time to right the ship.

By this time next year, you could be celebrating all the amazing things you were able to accomplish in 2018. You could even be well on your way to repeating your success by making 2019 your best year ever.

9 Simple Steps for Success in 2018

The only thing that’s standing between you and having the best year ever is nine simple steps that have proven to work for others.

So if you’re not 100% satisfied with the way your life is at the moment, please take a moment out of your day to learn about how these simple steps can unlock your potential.

 

1. Measure Your Balance

First, let’s look at where things currently stand in your life.

Everyone has seven priorities:

• Business
• Education
• Faith
• Family Life
• Financial
• Health
• Social Life

Write these down as a list beginning with the priority that means the most to you – the one that the rest of your life revolves around.

Then, write down the others in whichever order you like, but give each a score in terms of how satisfied you are with it (1 being extremely dissatisfied and 5 being extremely satisfied). So, for example, if you’re happy with your health, but you’d like to improve it, you’d probably want to give it a 3.

2. Determine What You Want Your Legacy to Be

What drives you?

When you wake up in the morning, what thought gets your feet on the floor (aside from coffee)?

Think long and hard about what you want your legacy to be:

• 10 years from now, what do you want your life to be like?
• What do you want people to remember you for?
• What does success look like?

If you replied with one- or two-word answers, start over.

We’re talking about your legacy here. Think through these questions thoroughly. Do some soul searching. You’re trying to come up with the true north of your life that will give you direction each and every single day.

3. Establish Ownership and Leverage the Endowment Effect

In short, the endowment effect states that people value things more when they own them.

Look over that list you created in step one.

While the categories that received 4s and 5s probably don’t need too much of your attention, the other areas most likely do. Right now, write down some notes about what needs to happen this year to make each of these lower-scored areas the best they can possibly be.

By documenting your intentions, you’re owning your outcome.

4. Create a Winning Strategy

If you fail to make 2018 your best year ever, I can almost guarantee it will be because you fell short with this step.

Go through your list of intentions and write down the skills, processes, and/or methods you’ll need to achieve the outcomes you want for each one. Again, take your time. You’re creating the roadmap you’ll follow to reach the outcomes you want, so it’s very important that you get this step right.

5. Find the Obstacles

When people fall short of their goals, it’s often because they don’t anticipate the obstacles they’ll face. Their initial optimism about goal-setting carries them forward only until they hit that first challenge and then…back to mediocrity.

Consider potential obstacles ahead by answering these questions:

• What logistical constraints may get in the way?
• Which behaviors of yours could hinder your progress?
• Which people in your life may be obstacles?

For help with vital step, use our RedRock Leadership Obstacle to Action Converter.

6.  Come Up with a Theme

What will the theme of your best year ever be?

The theme you choose will help keep you motivated.

It will help even more if you create a slogan for it, too – one that really stirs your imagination. Think in images, but try to keep your slogan to just two or three words (the perfect example of this is Nike: “Just Do It.”).

7. Get SMART About Your Goals

“I want to lose weight” is almost meaningless as a goal.

Instead, your goal should include plenty of details. Imagine if someone else read it. Would they be able to achieve your desired results? Or would they end up with something completely different (for example, losing 10 pounds instead of 50)?

Make sure you’re using SMART goals:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Time-Bound

Download the RedRock Leadership Annual Goal Setting Workbook, get out your calendar, and then give yourself at least an hour to sit down and make detailed goals for the coming year.

8. Accountability Is Essential

At the end of the day – or year, in this case – none of this advice will be worth much if you don’t hold yourself accountable.

That’s often easier said than done though, so consider finding a goal partner, someone who also wants more from their life and meet with them every few weeks.

There are plenty of other ways to make yourself accountable, too. You can set calendar and phone alerts to remind yourself. Leave post-its with your goals written on them in places you pass often. Do whatever it takes so not a single day goes by without thinking about your goals.

9. Review and Revise

The other reason you want to be constantly thinking about your goals is because they’re not going to be perfect.

That’s just fine.

As long as you regularly review them and make changes as necessary, imperfect goals eventually become perfect goals which eventually become accomplished goals.

Get Started Making Progress Right Now

Though the nine steps I just listed can give you unprecedented results in your life, I hope you’ll agree that they’re not especially difficult.

It doesn’t take a massive investment of time or money on your part – just some simple shifts in your mindset and focus.

If you’re ready to take full control of your life, accomplish your goals, and experience total success in 2018, then I’m happy to offer you a free eBook that will help you make the most of the nine steps we just covered.

At RedRock, we provide ongoing reinforcement training. If you work in management or sales, our Systematic Foundation™ and Take the Lead!™ three month training programs will definitely help you make this your best year ever.