Happy New Year Everyone!
It’s one of my favorite moments of the year. We popped the bottle of champagne, ate oliebollen (a Dutch tradition), sang Happy New Year by ABBA and woke up to a fresh start. This year, we’re not only saying hello to a new year, but to a whole new decade. It’s time to think about who we really want to be and how we can become that person while staying true to ourselves. You don’t have to change who you are entirely, but now is as good a moment as any to start your personal development journey and consciously choose who you want to be. In this post, I’ll show you how to become the person you want to be this year.
Why *just* at the start of a new year? Well, I don’t know about you, but to me, the new year always feels like a new beginning. And somehow that feeling is very motivating to me. I know a lot of others feel the same way. However, if you are reading this post in May, don’t worry, it will work just as well.
Ask Yourself The Right Questions
What qualities would you like to have? What habits would you love having? Any skills you want to master? What big goals do you have that you could achieve this year or what can you do this year to get closer to it? Which things (and maybe people) would you like to leave in the past decade? What words do you want to use to describe yourself? What interests or passions would you like to pursue (more) this year?
Start asking yourself questions to determine who you really want to be. I recommend using a journal to answer the questions and then re-read and prioritize them to discover what you really want to work on this year. If the list gets overwhelming, settle on a maximum of ten things to focus on for now.
Set Clear Goals
When you’ve found the things you want to work on most this year, turn them into clear, actionable goals. If you need a little help setting goals in a way that will help you actually achieve them, check out this blog post.
Ditch The “I Can’t” Mindset
Sometimes people think they are stuck with what they’ve got. However, we can envision the person we want to be and start taking action to actually become them. Do you think you’re bad at something and you could never get good at it, but would love to learn it anyway? Go for it. The only person truly holding you back is you… I’ve been told I suck at math and other my whole life and, sure, it doesn’t come naturally to me. However, I’ve always wanted to learn how to code. I’ve never pursued it because I was scared of having to do math. Last month, though, I started an online course to teach myself programming anyway. And while I might never become the best programmer out there, I really enjoy it and I’m learning a lot. Long story short: you don’t have to be the best at something in order to enjoy it or learn a useful skill. And even if you’re not naturally gifted at something, you can still become good at it if you work hard for it.
Stop Listening To Others
In addition to not letting yourself hold you back, don’t let anybody tell you what you can and cannot do. If you want to try something, just do it. Then decide for yourself if it’s for you or not. People will always have an opinion and it can be really hard to ignore it (especially if you’re a people pleaser). However, no matter what you do, someone will not like it. It’s important to start doing things for you and not anyone else or you’ll spend your whole life not being true to yourself.
Doing more things for me is one of my biggest goals in 2020. I’m definitely guilty of listening to what others say too much and I’ve often based important decisions on what other people (would) think. I want to become so sure of who I am and want to be that I don’t need other people’s validation in order to feel good about myself. It’s going to be a challenge, sure, but one that I’m convinced will be worth it!
Show Up & Get It Done
Once you have set your goals and have created a clear plan on how to get there, all you have to do is stick to the plan and keep showing up. Consistency is key when it comes to reaching any goal. The only way to actually achieving your goals is by putting in the work. You’re not always going to feel excited by the proces and you will lose your motivation at some point. However, don’t lose all your motivation if you have a bad day or week and just pick up where you left of last time. Nothing is ruined if you dropped the ball for a little while. Cut yourself some slack and refocus on what is important to you. Remind yourself of why you set these goals and start again. You’ll thank yourself later.
Dare To Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone
Real change always comes with a level of discomfort. However, it takes just 21 days to form a new habit. 21 Days of doing something consistently until it’s a habit and it will become easier. It takes 90 days to form a new lifestyle. Think of where you could be 90 days from now… Your pursuit of your goal may feel painful now, but in just 90 days it will become like a second nature to you. Dare to try new things, to really push yourself. Eventually, you’ll expand your comfort zone and it won’t be (such) a (big) challenge anymore. Step out of your comfort zone now and you’ll be guaranteed to grow. It will boost your self-confidence and you’ll be proud you did the thing you’re scared of.
Slow & Steady Wins The Race
Last, but not least: if you really want to set yourself up for success this year, be realistic. If you start with a sprint, you’re most likely going to get burned out before reaching the finish line. Go at a pace that you can keep going at and cut yourself some slack if not everything goes according to plan. Just don’t give up on the person you really want to become.
2020 Theme
I always choose a word to symbolize my focus for the year ahead. My theme word for 2020 will be GROWTH. I want to grow as a person, a professional and as a friend. There will be a few difficult choices I’m going to have to make in order to achieve my goals, but I’m determined to become who I want to be this year. What is your theme word for 2020?
Who do you want to become in 2020? Click To TweetWhatever goals you set for yourself, I hope you have an amazing year ahead of you. You’re definitely off to a good start!
With much love,
Maud
