Two simple steps to achieve your goals in the New Year … without fail.

As the year comes to an end, we are all enthused. We’re looking forward to a new year with enthusiasm and renewed energy directed towards reaching new goals, personally and professionally. Or perhaps it’s also about trepidation as we feel overwhelmed by everything we would like to accomplish to better our lives.

RESOLVE THIS YEAR TO GIVE UP.

My friend, Kate Corwin, writes blogs every week and the one she wrote last week resonated with me. Instead of just thinking of what we are going to do (exercise more, sell more, start a new business, get more business, eat healthy, etc.) why don’t we give up what no longer serves us, eliminate waste and thereby give ourselves the gift of time?

Some examples of this would be, giving up:

1.     Sugar and/or any processed foods with sugar or high fructose corn syrup

2.     Doing constant, multiple loads of laundry per week

3.     One meal per day if you’re eating 3-4 meals a day

4.     Shopping for clothes for a month or a year (or however many months you choose)

5.     Cleaning the house and instead budget for someone to do it

6.     Items in your home that is just increasing the clutter

7.     Vegging in front of the TV

You will find that you have more time to do the things that feel more meaningful.

USE AGILE METHODOLOGY IN YOUR DAILY PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE.

The second way to achieve your goals this new year would be to adopt the Agile Methodology into your daily personal and professional life. Agile Project Management Methodology is currently used successfully in 80% of IT projects in achieving project goals. No more providing the customer a faulty product after multiple changes and delays. Large projects are not worked in a linear way from start to finish. Instead, it is cut up into chunks and worked to completion. For example, every morning, I set up goals for myself for the day. Then I split my day into chunks of 50 minutes and use the 10 minutes every hour to walk around or do something out of my seat or in front of my standup desk (remember, sitting is the new smoking). This way, I’m completely focused on the chunk of work I have carved for myself for those 50 minutes. Try it and accomplish more this year! A very happy and productive New Year to all. May you accomplish everything you envision this year.