Happy New Year, Everyone!  For many, the start of a brand-new year means looking forward.  It means setting goals about what you hope to accomplish over the next 12 months.  It means thinking about things you’d like to change or make different.  All good stuff!  But how do you ensure that THIS year you’ll be in the 20% of folks who actually accomplish their goals, not in the 80% of folks who fall off the goal wagon by mid-Feb?  Well…in addition to looking forward you also need to look backward.  You need to take the forward-backward approach to achieving your goals.

As athletes we are used to this forward-backward approach.  We set an end goal (the forward part) & then we create the small day-to-day steps needed (the backwards part) to inch our way to goal completion.  That’s just a solid training approach, right?  So why not do the same for New Year’s Goals?

The trick is to give yourself enough time to move in small, almost imperceptible steps.  This is where most people (including athletes) go wrong.  They bite off too much too soon.  Believe me, I get it!  It’s Jan. 4!  It’s the start of a New Year & we’re all full of motivation, energy & desire to change!  Why not use that momentum to implement 180-degree pivots?  Because, of course, motivation, energy & desire are all fleeting…they are temporary states…they are not permanent.

So, in order to keep moving forward when the going gets tough (because it absolutely will), we need to rely on structure.  This is why looking backwards is so helpful.  If you only focus forward on the end goal, it won’t be enough to keep you going when life interferes.  Without a solid system to get you from Point A to Point B, you’ll quickly lose your way forward when illness & injury strike or your priorities change because of work, family, friend commitments.

Compare that with a focus on process rather than outcome.  When you plan backwards you identify the small steps that, when combined together, will progress you forward.  With a thoughtful day-to-day structure in place, you’ll miraculously find yourself so much closer to achieving your end goal simply because you did each tiny, small, baby step.

How about a real-life example?  One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to be a person who regularly meditates.  OK, the end goal (the forward part) is set – be a person who regularly meditates.  Next, I need to create the tiny steps that ultimately support this goal (the backwards part):

1. In Jan. I’ll do a single 05 min meditation session after an AM workout per week.  That’s seriously not difficult…only 1 session for 05 min??  I can do that!
2. In Feb. I’ll increase that 1 session to 10 min.  Again…how hard is that??!!  Just 1 session for 10 min!  Yep, I can do that.
3. In Mar. I’ll increase to 2 x 10 min sessions after AM workouts.  Totally doable.  I can certainly find 20 min in a whole entire week to meditate.
4. In Apr. I’ll increase to 3 x 10 min sessions.

And so forth & so forth…you get the idea.  By the end of 2024, this system, made up of small adjustments over time, will bring me so much closer to my goal of “being a person who regularly meditates”.  It’s almost like magic, right?!

For a great read on the power of systems on goal achievement, check out James Clear’s Atomic Habits.  And if you’d like help setting up your training system(s), set up a 30min Free Consult.

May you have the best year yet!