There’s definitely something magical about the dawn of a new year. It’s a time when we can wipe the slate clean and start again. We can build on a blank canvas and believe that anything is possible. Our New Year mindset is unstoppable and invaluable.
Perhaps the gamechanger is the lull between Christmas and January kicking off at full speed - otherwise known as Twixmas. This is the time of year when everything slows down. We typically get fewer emails demanding time and attention. We have permission to take our foot off the gas, to enjoy some much needed headspace, and we have an opportunity to reflect on the year that has been and the year that is ahead.
In reality, New Year is a manmade date and occasion. However, it is a special and important time of year that signifies new beginnings, excitement and motivation. The trick is to set an intention to maintain the same outlook at the start of each day, not just the start of each year.
So, how do we nail this intentional mindset?
This week, we welcome guest writer and Calmer partner Abigail Ireland to share her three tips on how to start the year effectively.
Start as you mean to go on
To start the year effectively with intention, try these three techniques which are simple yet impactful:
1. Fast forward to the end of the year
Whilst this doesn’t mean wishing a whole year away before it begins, it does mean considering where you want the next 12 months to take you. By having a view on what a successful year looks and feels like to you, you will unconsciously make everyday choices and decisions that move you closer to your vision. The more vivid and tangible your vision is, the more information your brain has available to it, in order to help you get there.
An exercise you can do at the beginning of every new year is to sit down with your favourite drink and no distractions. Put pen to paper and write whatever comes to mind, using the sentence starter, “It’s 31 December [insert year] and I am…”.
Take this opportunity to write in the present tense, as if you are right there at this moment. Hypothetically looking back at the year that has passed, write down:
- What transpired that led to you having had a brilliant and successful year?
- What progress did you make? What achievements are you proud of?
- Where are you?
- Who else is with you?
- How are you feeling emotionally, mentally and physically?
Bring this to life. The more vivid and real you can make this visualisation, the better.
Research shows that elite athletes use visualisation to achieve their goals, yet these techniques are still underutilised in mainstream society and often misunderstood as being a bit “woo-woo”. A study on Olympic athletes highlighted that the best athletes mentally prepared for their competitions by thinking about what they wanted to accomplish ahead of the event. They developed mental imagery skills and used these to their advantage, seeing themselves achieving their goals. In the research survey, 99% of athletes shared that they used mental imagery as part of their preparation strategies. On average, they would do this at least once a day, four days a week and for a 12 minute duration each time.
If we create a powerful visualisation, our brains can be convinced that what we are seeing in our mind’s eye is our reality. By mentally rehearsing for what we want to be true, we can activate the neural pathways that are typically fired up when we physically do something. It’s almost like we open up the gateway for greater possibilities.
An inspiring and well-known story about the power of visualisation relates to the actor, Jim Carrey. In the early 1990s, before breaking into Hollywood, he wrote a cheque to himself for $10 million dollars, postdating it to Thanksgiving 1995. He carried this cheque with him as a reminder of his vision. He would also visualise where he would be, who he would be speaking with and what would be happening if he was a successful actor. He would drive to Mulholland Drive for years and say (note, this is said in the present tense), “I’m a popular actor, every director wants to work with me.” He would do this until he actually believed it. Amazingly, a few months before Thanksgiving 1995, Jim Carrey was offered $10 million for a movie.
Despite all of the evidence and success stories we hear about visualisation, we may still be sceptical. Considering there is no downside, let’s give it a go.
2. Define how you want to show up
As a new year begins, an extremely simple yet effective tactic anyone can adopt is to pick a word for the year. Use it to stay focused and intentional about how you want to conduct yourself each day, how you want to be perceived, how you wish to communicate with others, and so on. This word can change from year to year, but gives you clarity and direction in such a simple way.
For example, you might use “inspiring” if you want to energise and motivate those around you. You might choose “confident” if you want to focus on how you can interact more effectively in meetings. You might go with “calm” if you want to improve how you regulate your emotions when faced with challenging situations.
This is a relatively easy step to act upon. Pick a word, write it down and put it somewhere visible - on a screensaver, notebook or sticky note - so you are constantly reminded of what is important to you.
3. Set practical milestones to hit your goals
We tend to start a new year with huge enthusiasm and perhaps too many goals. Then life gets busy and it all drops. We default to all or nothing thinking, and our vision fades.
A sensible approach could be to set a maximum of four goals per year, meaning one per quarter is achievable if you were to focus on one thing at a time. These goals could all connect and build on each other, or they could overlap throughout the year and relate to four areas that are important to you. For example:
Mind / Body / Business / Finances
or
Health / Family & Friends / Travel / Investing
Before you jump in, reflect on what is important to you for this coming year. Try not to set goals based on what you think you should be doing, what others are doing, or what someone else has influenced you to do.
Instead, circle back to your vision and how you want you to feel at the end of the year ahead. Identify the big rocks that will take you to this point, and then map out the monthly stepping stones that will get you there.
Dr Gail Matthews conducted a research study back in 2007, and this showed that simply writing down your goals increases the likelihood of achieving them. Individuals were 76% more likely to achieve their goals (compared to those who only thought about them) if they also shared their goals, action steps and sending regular progress updates to a friend.
A Harvard study in the 1970s showed that goal setting and planning was the key to success. MBA students were tracked over a 10 year period. Only 3% of students actually wrote down their goals together with plans to achieve them, and this 3% financially outperformed the rest of the class over time.
Over to you
Remember, a goal without a plan is just a dream… so be specific and set practical action steps to get you to where you want to be.
As you start this year, pick one or more of the techniques above and give them a shot. We are in the most magical time of year for goal-setting, motivation and momentum - so leverage this energy and let’s get going.
Abigail Ireland is an international Peak Performance Strategist who combines human performance, mindset and personal effectiveness strategies to enable ambitious executives and teams to uplevel and achieve excellence on a sustainable basis.