Everyone is motivated to do their best at the beginning of the year. The big and bold goals created in January generate the energy required to start strong. Unfortunately, with one month left in 2016, there is a chance you may choose to coast toward the finish line. Either you exceeded your expectations for what you wanted to accomplish this year and you justify slowing down; or you’ve fallen short of your desired destination and believe it’s impossible to win the race you wanted to run 11 months ago…so why try?
Instead of doing a thumbs up or thumbs down on your year the first week of December, consider creating daily goals that will help you be healthier, happier and more productive each day during the last month of the year.
With so much to do over the holidays, it’s easy to lose sight of your priorities and waste time on the low payoff activities that don’t really contribute to your success and well-being. The time and energy that could be invested in taking positive action today get used up by worrying about the future or reliving regrets from the past.
Disciplining your mind to create a clear focus for each day is a best practice every month, but given all the December distractions, we need to remind ourselves of it’s importance. If you’re up for making December one of the best months of your year, here is an idea for you to consider.
Each evening before you go to bed, take 10 minutes to think about what you want to accomplish the next morning in regards to your work, family and health. Concentrate on the actions you want to take, the habits you want to develop and the relationships you want to improve. As your morning comes to a close, reflect on what you did well and what you want to do better in the afternoon. Repeat this same process for your afternoon and evening.
In addition, it’s important to have a goal for each hour and keep score. Give yourself a win for the hour if you did what you planned to do. Each hourly victory will build the momentum and inspiration you need to win the day. If you ever have a moment when you’re unclear about what to do next, just remind yourself of your goal for that hour and ask yourself, “What’s the most important things I can do right now?”
If you’ll commit to using this process each day in December, your holiday will be happier, healthier and more productive. You’ll also feel better knowing you did your best to finish strong.
Let’s Get Better. Together! Bill Durkin
