New Year 2022 – Goals and Planning

Here we are again at the start of the new year with a fresh go at achieving our most audacious goals. We all want things, however having a plan to get there is where most people come unstuck. Here’s how you can make 2022 your best year yet:

Look Back in the Rear-view Mirror

In today’s world many underestimate the power of reflecting on the year it was, in order to propel them to the year it could be. Host and professional goal-setter, Andrew Baxter, says taking a look in the rear-view mirror as we approach 2022 is pivotal as a first step. There is so much we can learn from our achievements and our failures last year, which may sound like a baby step, albeit is something a lot forget to do. Working out why you achieved what you did or what you didn’t will also allow you to attach some emotion to your experiences last year – giving you the power to change them this time around. It’s not just about what you did or didn’t do, it’s really about why.

Work out Where You’re Really at

Understanding where it is you stand in life right now is pivotal before making the commitment to go anywhere else. Host Andrew Baxter says there are really 6 core areas to analyse in your life right now – health & fitness, business, money & finances, mental health, relationships with others, and personal development. These key pillars of our life are the cornerstones of our goals and are important to nut out intently. Working out – how satisfied are you with each of these? If you’re not, how committed are you to changing it? A goal can only come to fruition if it is past the ‘threshold level’, which is where you are dissatisfied with something enough to want to change it or do better.

Have Priorities

The problem with goals is that most people have too many of them. If you have 5,10 and 15 priorities this year – you’ve really got none. Host Andrew Baxter works on what he refers to as the ‘4 burner theory’. This is an imaginative stove top of 4 burners – health and fitness, money and business, relationships with others and family. To really be successful this year, he says you’re going to have to choose only 3 – a trade-off. We understand that this is a very hard thing to come to terms with, although this kind of laser like focus is really what it takes to be successful in 2022. Be honest with yourself and really dialling in on which of these are important to you will ensure you keep that skin in the game required to reach your most audacious goals.

Have a Plan to Overcome Setbacks

Life is what it is – it’s tough and it’s unexpected at times. Whether it be a family member passing, a lost job or a broken leg in a motorcycle accident – these are things which can often derail us from achieving our goals. Host Andrew Baxter says the trick to overcome these is to remain flexible, but also have a plan in advance for them. A lot of this really boils down to the kind of goal you set – rather than an outcome-based goal (e.g I want to lose 10kg this year), we suggest setting process related goals (e.g. I want to attend the gym 3x per week).

In the event where you have a process central goal, you’ll find you build up the habits to be able to weather the storms of life. When something becomes so embedded in your routine, it won’t matter what happens because you’ll be so deep in your process that it becomes a non-negotiable.

Stay Accountable

Change your philosophy – it’s not what you have to do, it’s what you get to do in order to reach your goal. This is why so many of us fail to reach our goals or our new year resolutions don’t even make it past Australia day – it’s because we can’t stay accountable to our process. By having a total mindset shift in this fashion, you’ll often find that the most mundane of task become somewhat enjoyable and therefore you more likely to stay on track. We all have knocks throughout life and become quite jaded in our pursuit for more, however remembering why and what it is you want with some positive self-talk along the way will ensure you actually get there.

At times, this will be tough and is hence why host Andrew Baxter says having a coach to keep you accountable is key. Experience is a good teacher and finding someone who’s done it themselves before will held lend a hand on the shoulder when the going gets tough. If that’s something you need, from an investment perspective, reach out to Andrews team at Australian Investment Education.