2021 Solutions
How’s it going with your New Year’s resolutions for 2021? What step are you on in your game plan? If your New’s Resolutions are not going as you planned, try finding solutions in 2021. In order to drive real change, we’ve got to have short-term and long-term goals with follow-through. We, at A & C Unlimited, believe in unlimited possibilities despite the year we’ve had in 2020. That being said, read below for some quick tips to start the second quarter right!
James Clear is an author and productivity expert who uses behavioral science to help nearly half a million newsletter subscribers optimize their habits. He walks us through his Four Burner theory below:
It’s a way of thinking about work/life balance. Originally from David Sedaris, the theory is that there are four major burners in our lives—our family, our friends, our work, and our health. In order to be successful, the theory says you can only have three of the four burners on at one time. In order to be very successful, you can only have two of the four burners on.
It’s this idea of trade-offs. Do you want to have your family and your work cranked up, but then you sacrifice your health and your friends, or do you want to have family and friends but maybe you can’t be as ambitious with your career and your health?
We all have to make these decisions. We want a life without trade-offs, but there are constraints that we all face.
Work smarter, not harder!
Let’s use this philosophy to set the tone for our focus today. We want to work smarter, not harder, so let’s put an action plan together that allows us to manage our four burners effectively and with success. I know that we all want unlimited possibilities for our students, their families, our families, and ourselves - despite this pandemic. We are resilient! I also know for a fact that if you put short-term and long-term goals into place for your own wellbeing, you will have unlimited possibilities and success for 2021 and everyone around you and under your care will benefit ten-fold!
Y-O-U are resilient!
Everyone has their own backstory. In each and every one of our backstories, we have experienced more highs than lows, we’ve encountered more roses than thorns, and we can list more glows than grows. When we choose to see it this way, we are looking at the glass half-full versus the glass half-empty. Wow! There are so many quotes and mantras that illustrate this very point! There were no promises in 2020 to have a life without its problems. You or someone close to you may have suffered emotionally, physically, or fiscally during this pandemic. We understand! We’ve all suffered in some way. We’ve all experienced loss in some way. But guess what? Deep down inside…deep, deep down inside is our growth mindset and the intrinsic drive and motivation to problem solve. We’ve let 2020 be our problem, now what are we going to do about it? Your brain is connected in a way that seeks to solve problems. Now that 2021 is here, you just need to be encouraged to tap inside and to lean on your resilience. Y-O-U are an overcomer! Y-O-U are resilient! And you know what? Being resilient is going to make all the difference in the world for 2021!
Let’s start off by taking some quiet time to reflect on your goals for 2021 and beyond and to give them the proper “love” that they deserve. You can easily do this while walking, working out, or meditating. Once you are clear on your goals, pick up your Erin Condren journal and record your top three. Leave some space underneath each one because you’re going to add details in the next step. Now, your three goals may look different for you than for me, but that’s okay. We’re in a no-judgment zone. You pick your three and I’ll pick mine. The reason for three is because the experts have told us, including my favorite brain guy Jim Kwik, that three is manageable. On any given day, it really doesn’t matter that there are a lot of things that we should’ve, could’ve, and would’ve accomplished. In the end, three is the magic number for success. I definitely want you to have success, so let’s stick with three. Making your goal list manageable makes it obtainable. Your three goals may be related to your health, your fiscal responsibility, or to your career advancement. Whatever your three goals are, the habits you develop as a result should be long-lasting ~ beyond 2021.
The next thing that you want to do is unpack the steps it’s going to take to reach each goal. This will help to solidify your action plan. In the past, when I have set my New Year’s resolutions, I would never go through all of the steps in my mind or on paper to achieve that goal. I never realized how important it was in the journey to successfully achieve my goals.
I’ll walk us through an example. Have you ever tried to lose weight? This is one of the top 3 New Year’s Resolutions. So, let’s say that I’m trying to lose weight for an upcoming wedding. If I’m trying to lose 20 pounds, then I might consider purchasing workout equipment, a gym membership, increasing my days at the gym if I already have a membership, or a buying a weight loss product. Identifying the goal is only the first step if you want to make it a long-term solution.
The Devil’s in the details!
Resolutions don’t hold as much weight as a solution. Goals + action steps + details + follow-through is the formula for real change! So, I’m not saying I’ve never successfully achieved my New Year’s resolutions. However, what I am saying is that I have had 10x’s the success rate when I have written my goals AND written down the step-by-step process to get there.
Back to our example. In order to make a weight loss goal stick, I’d have to include the following action steps and the details behind achieving each one. Those might include:
Action Plan Option A Research the best weight loss company to purchase prepared foods or a recipe book from. Pinterest is an amazing resource too! :-)
Details Schedule time on my calendar to do the research and then budget for the purchase of the prepared foods or grocery lists. iPhone and Android phone alerts are excellent ways to keep yourself accountable! :-)
Action Plan Option B Register for an exercise class.
Details Block off my calendar 3-6 days a week to participate in the exercise class.
Action Plan Option C Pay for a personal trainer.
Details Block off my calendar 3-6 days a week to meet with the trainer.
Action Plan Option D Take a 30 to 45-minute walk right outside your door. After 30 days, increase rigor through interval jogging.
Details Block off my calendar 3-6 days a week to take a walk.
The point that I’m making is that you have to write each and every step-down, then make adjustments to your calendar, budget, etc. in order to follow-through more successfully with your goals. Be mindful and give yourself grace. It’s a marathon and not a sprint. It will take some time if you’re going to do it right.
The last step will make all the difference ~ set calendar alerts on your phone or in your Erin Condren planner to check-in on YOU! Yes, we often need an accountability partner to check-in with, but we are taking ownership of our success, so we must check-in with ourselves as well. Add a 5-day, 10-day, 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day alert. More importantly, add a 6-month, 12-month, and 24-month check-on-progress alert. By doing this, you are speaking things into existence and well on your way to making this a long-term solution!
If you want to work together on goal-setting or discuss your resilience journey, please reach out to me at aandc.unlimited4you@gmail.com. I would love to help add value to your journey toward success!
Until next time, stay stress-free and be well!
Ann Hlabangana-Clay