This is the perfect time to look at those first 6 months and see if you're satisfied with how you spent those first 6 months.
Did you have a vision of what your 2021 would look like? Did you have things you wanted to achieve? If so, did you make it happen? Or did your dreams fall by the wayside?
On January 1, I wrote a post I think is worth repeating here. This post gives real advice on how to achieve something you want. I'm not kidding. Try it. Pick 1 important thing you want to achieve and use these...
1. Make a decision to change.
How do you do that? Literally say to yourself, "I decide to eat smaller portions at meal times." Or, "I decide to write 2,00 words every day."
Every change starts with a conscious decision of "I will no longer do X. I will do this new thing."
Even better is writing it rather than just thinking it or putting it in a digital calendar on your phone or computer.
2. Take action immediately, no matter how small, to work toward that change.
Consciously think of your decision to change and figure out 1 thing you can do immedidately, that if done every day, will bring about the change. Write down that action the night before so you know exactly what you'll do when the new day dawns.
3. Every day take an action to work toward the change. Yep, again, write it down.
Each action, no matter how small, when done consistently, builds toward what you want just as a rock piled on top of other rocks day after day eventually builds a mountain. Each action done day after day builds a habit, and it also builds momentum.
4. Now, having decided what you want and taken some action, write up The Plan to help you achieve what you want.
Yes, write it down. That makes it real and achievable. Sit down with a pen and a journal, notepad, day planner, or open a document on a device. You will now prepare a plan of attack. You are the general in the battle to achieve what you want.
You know what you want to change. You've decided to make that change. You've taken an action to change already.
Your Plan consists of all the steps needed to get you from today to the end of the year.
Think about that. What are the steps—the actions—that you must take to get from now to where you want to be?
What do you have to do every month?
Break that down into what must be done every week.
Break that down into what must be done every day. Baby steps lead to giant leaps.
Review your Plan frequently. If Plan A isn't working, alter it to Plan B. Review and change as needed.
I'm a firm believer in the power of actually writing in a day planner, calendar, or journal.
There is a magical difference in taking pen in hand and writing something as opposed to inputting it into a digital device.
If you don't believe that, try it for one month, and you'll see the difference in what you can accomplish.
I use the day planner or diary shown at right. Each fall I buy one for the new year. The one shown here is different from mine in that it goes to June of 2022.
Takeaway Truth
For the remainder of 2021, try this way to make changes that will help you get what you want.
Photo Credits
- Image (2021) by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay
- Image (Change) by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
- Image (Plan) by Image by yogesh more from Pixabay.
