The year is almost over, and you might be feeling frustrated and discouraged because you have not hit the marks you have set. This is frustrating, I know because I have experienced it. There is always the new year around the corner where we can start over, but while comforting, there is not much sense of achievement in that.
What if we finished the year with a sense of achievement, success and the satisfaction of accomplishing our goals? You might ask 'is that possible?'. Well, some goals might be out of reach at this point, and we have to accept that. But there is still time to not only make progress, but reach our goals for the year.
I love new starts, but I want to bring the momentum of success, not failure into the new year. So here are four ways to finish strong, because let’s face it, it is not about how well you start, but about how strong you finish.
Step back
I always find that stepping back and looking at the big picture helps me find my bearings, and in turn gives me the sense of direction and determination I need to finish strong. It is like a diver coming up for air, and getting a sense of location. Go back to the initial goals. Revisit why you chose them and how you would measure them. Feel that energy and importance all over again and get a sense of excitement for it again. We need that extra push to cross the line on almost all projects. The feeling of accomplishment is euphoric. So go back, look over your goals and projects and get a good overview of what you are going after, why you are going after it, how you will know it is achieved and where you currently are. Get a sense of big picture. Get perspective.
Prioritze
Not all goals are created equal. Some are more important, demanding and worthwhile. Some take a long time, others take a short time. You need to identify and prioritize those that are the most important to you. Make those your top priority. But don’t get carried away. If there are easier to achieve goals that have less priority, it might help to bring those to completion. Seeing the checks in the box will encourage you and leave less unfinished business hanging over your head as you pursue the greater goals.
But no matter what, identify the most important goals and make them your priority.
Simplify
Along the way we often clutter our plans with baggage. What do I mean by baggage? Luggage that makes traveling harder and heavier. These are little projects along the way that we absorb and assign to much importance to. Or that we should have just never got involved in in the first place. We need to declutter and focus on the important things. You might find that some goals are not really worth your time, and as you come to peace with that, you can remove it from your list, thus freeing up more headspace and focus for the things that matter most. Honestly, sometimes we just have to postpone some things, and that is ok. Once we have prioritized, we can simplify.
Too often we tend to complicate things by trying to do too much, or be too unique, when at the end of the day, what matters most is just getting the work done.
Double Down
Once we have gotten a sense of the big picture, prioritized our goals and simplified our approach, now it is time to double down and get to work. Nothing comes easy. But now we have the fresh vision again, and the clarity we need to to finish the job. But it is going to require maximum effort. We have to be locked in with laser like focus. This will require sacrifice and maybe even less of the fun stuff we have been doing, but it will pay huge dividends in the end.
So there you have it. Get realigned, prioritized and get to work. There is still time to finish strong. Don’t let this year finish relying on the grace of New Years. You can do it. Imagine the feeling of closing out the new year with a sense of accomplishment and achievement! Just apply yourself and don’t lose sight of your pursuits.
