I am a big believer that anything worth doing should be done NOW…
However, as every New Year approaches, like most, I’m a sucker for waiting until the 1st of January to start tasks and set goals and make ‘resolutions’. Psychologically, it just feels right.
For many who feel the same, the New Year symbolises the turning of a page into a new chapter, a clean slate and a fresh start.
It’s these inspiring times that motivate people to take on challenges, conquer old troubles, holistically better themselves and establish the goals to achieve all this!
With the 1st of January swiftly approaching, hopefully you have written down, or at least thought about, what these goals might be.
What seems to happen though (if previous years are anything to go by), is that as the weeks and months of the year tick by, the motivation to keep working towards these goals tappers away. Eventually, another 365 days has passed and your goals for the year just gone are far from achieved. It’s a cycle that some know all too well and one that must stop if you want to reach your full potential!
Don’t waste another year! Here are some tips on creating habits, fighting a lack of motivation and staying accountable and making 2023 your best year yet…
1) Creating habits
In order to achieve your goals you need to complete tasks. But it is your habits that will keep you completing these tasks long after your motivation has dwindled away.
Here’s how to create a new habit:
- Plan
Set a timeline for all your goals with a defined completion date. Then, divide your goals into daily and weekly tasks. - Do the hard tasks first
Schedule the hard tasks in for earlier in the day. The earlier in the day, the more motivated you’ll be and the fewer excuses you’ll have. - Remind
Go through your newly created tasks and set reminders for all for them. This is perfect if you are forgetful, too busy to remember or tend to slack off when you find tasks unappealing. - Track and revise
On a monthly basis, track your progress and revise the tasks and timelines you initially decided on. Also reset all your reminders to correspond to this. - Say ‘no’
Distractions interfere with momentum. Learn to say ‘no’ to distractions. - Don’t push it to tomorrow
Usually, tomorrow means never. If it’s scheduled for today, do it today. - Outsource
If you’ve simply got too much to do and not enough hours in your day then consider outsourcing some tasks. Overwhelm will get in the way of consistency and encourage giving up.
In 2022, Angela released a book ALL about habits, ‘Tradie Wife: Why Winging It Isn’t Working (And Breaking Old Habits Will Help)’. As the title suggests, it is more so focused on the ‘she’ in the business partnership. But no matter what, everyone can benefit from the tips and techniques passed on in the book – male or female!
In fact, in January we are giving away FREE hardcopies along with our first book, ‘Start Up. Scale Up. Sell Up.’, so get in quick to boost that education and motivation from day dot of 2023.
2) Fighting a lack of motivation
It’s inevitable that somewhere along the way you are going to lose motivation. This is completely normal!
Knowing this and not creating a plan against it would be silly.
Here’s how to fight a lack of motivation:
- Educate yourself
Watch videos and read articles/books. Whether they educate specifically on trade business or are purely for motivational purposes, they will help you refocus and get back on track.
You can find lots of these resources HERE just ‘sign up’ for free.
- Like-minded people
Surround yourself with people who want the same thing in life or business. We are living proof of this at Lifestyle Tradie with our community of like-minded, savvy trade business owners. Having a supportive community can lift you up when the chips are down. It is a great place to turn when you are stuck on answers and just need a forum to get help! - Focus on the end result
What are you trying to achieve with these goals? Is it more time with your kids? Is it freedom to pursue your hobbies? Focusing on the end result adds purpose to the tasks of today. - Vision board
Stick images related to your goals on a vision board so your purpose is staring back at you everyday. - Reward yourself
Reward yourself for the small wins! Have something to look forward to! No matter how big or small. - Solution orientated
Have a can do attitude. Instead of looking at the obstacles, focus on how you can overcome them. - Create friendly competition
Got a competitive streak? Consider linking up with a tradie mate near you with a similar purpose and work together to achieve it. - Model someone
The fact that other people have achieved what you want is living proof that it can be done. Model your behaviours off someone who has already reached what you want.
3) Stay accountable
When you are accountable to the people around you, you are far less likely to slack off.
Become accountable to…
Your staff – assign yourself a task that must be completed prior to a task assigned to a staff member. This will force you to complete the task because they are relying on you before they can do their bit.
Your partner – if you involve your partner in your goals, they can help you stay on track. Team work makes the dreamwork, right?
A business coach – sometimes it is easier to have a third party who doesn’t have that personal relationship to report your progress to. It is their job to make keep you going and on track!
This is how you are going to SMASH your goals for this new year.
As the saying goes ‘Your Future is defined by what you do TODAY’… so what are you doing to set yourself up for a successful 365 days of the year ahead?
It is totally possible for you to reach your full potential! It all comes down to commitment…
So, lets all commit to making 2023 even bigger and even better than the last!
What’s next?
- Join our free Facebook community, Together in Trade Business, for access to trade business specific conversations, tips and resources, plus a like-minded community of tradies.
- Book a free Strategy Session with Andy. Andy owned and operated his own trade business and is the co-founder of Lifestyle Tradie, to clarify your priorities and get clear action steps.
