Smash your goals for the NEW YEAR

These proven life-coaching tips and techniques will set you up for success

- FAITH HILL

New goals are exciting. They help us to make valuable changes to important areas of our life. Here’s how to set realistic ones and stick to them.

1 Be specific

Identify your goal and choose a deadline. Vague goals equal vague action, so focus on the details. For example, ‘I’m going to lose 7lb by Easter’ is more likely to be achieved than just ‘I’ll lose weight’, or ‘I’ll save £5,000 by next Christmas’ is more feasible than ‘I’ll save money’.

2 Fresh start

Research* shows that we are much more likely to tackle our objective, and pursue it, if we pick a significant date to begin, such as New Year’s Day, the first day of the week or month, or a birthday. Call this your ‘fresh start date‘; even this small phrase helps programme your brain for success.