According to research conducted by the University of Scranton, 92% of people never achieve their New Year’s goals. If it looks like you’re set to be part of this statistic, listen up! It’s not too late to turn things around! To achieve your goals, all you need is a plan and a commitment to applying the three Rs – Revisit, Reflect and Revise. I’ll walk you through each step, but you need to do the work. Are you ready? Let’s do this!

Revisit

Let’s start at the beginning. Revisit the goals that you set at the start of the year. Did you write your goals down? If you didn’t, I don’t blame you. If you think about it, it seems ridiculous that the simple act of putting pen to paper could have any impact on your success. The truth is though, it does! People with written goals are 42% more likely to achieve them than those without. Please, do yourself a favour and commit to writing down your goals in the second half of this year. (More on how to do this later.) You owe it to yourself to give this a good shot!

For those of you who did write down your goals, I’m giving you a virtual high five! Truly, it takes a while to figure out the what, why, how and when. You should be proud of your commitment. You’re already on your way to gaining a place in the top 8% of goal getters! Find the notebook or paper where you recorded your goals and have a look at it. All you need to do now is figure out what went wrong and make the necessary changes. That’s where the next R comes in!

Reflect

If you’re reading this article, it’s because something happened along your journey to success. Where did it all go wrong? For me, there were a number of factors. Firstly, I set too many goals! I thought I had five different goals for the year (which in itself is quite a lot to start with), but looking back at my physical health “goal” alone, it was actually made up of three tasks! Each goal should have only one task attached to it.

On reflection, the table above outlines more of a plan for the year in one area of focus, not one goal. Very few people (if anyone) could achieve all of this in one go. When you look at your goals, are there multiple tasks attached to your area of focus? If so, a better idea would be to set each task as a short-term goal instead. Then you can reward yourself after you have completed each task! Completing goals and earning rewards helps to keep you motivated and should keep you on the path to success.

My second mistake was not updating/changing my goals as things in my life changed. Initially, one of my other goals was to save up to buy a house. Difficult to do without a steady income! Be honest with yourself. Are the goals that you set at the start of the year still applicable? Are they realistic? What do you need to change so that you can make the next half of the year a better one? Nothing will change if you keep moving in the same direction.

The biggest mistake of all, however, was neglect. I didn’t check my goals every day, I didn’t set aside any time in the morning to focus and prepare to tackle my goals, and I didn’t reflect on my progress very often. I am not naturally the most intrinsically motivated person out there. I need accountability and regular small wins. Maybe you can relate. Where have you been keeping your written goals? Are they visible? Do you think about how you can work towards them each day? From here on in, be sure to display your goals in a place where you will see them, like your desk or bedroom door. Read them daily and reflect on why they are important to you. Take a couple of minutes to meditate each morning so that you can start the day focused. Think about what you need to do today to achieve your goals. Act on this. Before you go to sleep, reflect on what went well and what can be improved tomorrow. Success comes from consistent effort.

Sure, we’ve made mistakes and slipped up in the past seven months, but I’m sure there have also been some successes. What went well? What did you achieve? I was able to reach my first milestone in completing the Six Week Core Workout – completing three weeks out of six. That was a solid three weeks of focus! If you know me, you know that working out is my least favourite thing to do, so this achievement is a big deal for me! I’m sure there is something you can feel proud of too. Additionally, if there is something that has worked really well, such as something that kept you motivated, think about how you can do it again to replicate or improve upon your results. If, for example, your focus improves when you play music, you could play music any time you want to be productive. Perhaps you need complete silence to work productively. Find what works for you. True reflection comes from weighing up what has gone well and what needs improvement. Now all you need to do is put it into action!

Revise

Now that you have identified the positives and negatives of the first half of the year, let’s work on our plan! Revising your earlier goals will probably require more than just changing a few words or numbers. You might have to change your strategy/how you will achieve each goal. You may even need to change your rewards to ones that are more motivating. How can you put your reflection answers into action? Write your updated goals down.

When revising and writing your goals, make sure they are SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic/Relevant and Time Bound:

Your written goals should include the above criteria. If you did not make a written record of your goals at the start of the year, or if you would simply like to see an example of a written goal, read the ‘Goals’ section of this article on Vision Boards. The example is located under the table.

If you want to achieve your goals, you need to ensure that they are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic/relevant and time bound. If you are finding it difficult to achieve your goals, you need to revisit, reflect and revise them. The key is to be honest and realistic and do what works for you. Don’t underestimate the importance of giving your goals regular attention. Some simple changes could be the difference between success and failure.

Ready to take action? Download the Mid-Year Goals Check-Up worksheet.

In the comments below, let me know what changes you’ll be making to your goals.

Wishing you a successful second half of the year!

Grace x