Moving Mountains: A New Approach to The New Year

For most of us, the past few years have been confusing, stressful and a little scary. Yet, new years have always acted as a catalyst for change, for new beginnings and for taking a new positive outlook on life.

As we move into 2022, it is time to reset, realign with our values and look forward to a better and brighter future. In this article, we are going to offer you some advice and a whole new approach to making 2022 your best year yet!

The New Year Challenge‍

Ok, we admit it.

Even we get tired of the constant positivity of some of the popular internet ‘gurus’ and ‘influencers’. Of course, we all want to approach life in a super-proactive and positive way…but there is just one problem…

..it’s exhausting!

Here is how most new years resolutions go:

1. We get very excited about a new year and new opportunities
2. We set massive, ambitious goals that we are super motivated to achieve
3. We wake up every morning and work hard towards achieving them
4. After a few days/weeks/hours(?) we see that progress is slow
5. We get tired and give up

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Seem familiar?

Don’t worry…there is a better way…

BIG GOALS, bite-sized chunks

Let’s kick this off by getting all philosophical. We love this quote by Confucius:

“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones"

Great advice both when trying to move a large amount of gravel and when setting goals.

So, what does it mean? It means when we set massive, ambitious goals we don’t achieve them in one big hit. Instead, we work away every day, chipping away at the small tasks and achievements that get us there.

This approach can work for any type of goal. Simply consider what daily actions you should be taking to achieve that bigger achievement. Here are a few examples:

●     To reduce your social anxiety you may - research mindfulness and breathing techniques, attempt to start conversations with strangers in a relaxed setting and note down your feelings when you do it

●     To run a half marathon you may -try and eat 5 fruit-and-veg a day, go on short daily jogs and stretch for 10minutes in front of the TV

●     To get a promotion at work you may- arrange a meeting with your manager to discuss progression, research relevant qualifications and find a mentor

The bite-sized chunks can be at any size you find comfortable. The idea is to make them simple and easy, in turn making them easier to start and complete.

Depending on your goal, you may need to start small and get bigger as you grow comfortable. For example, when training to run a half marathon you may start by walking for 20 minutes a day, moving on to longer and faster runs as your fitness increases.

Not only do bite-sized goals make it easier to get started, but they act as a great motivator. Every time you achieve a goal, even when they are bite-sized, you get a hit of dopamine - a chemical that makes you feel good.

You will be surprised just how much you can achieve when you switch your focus from achieving big, ambitious goals to making small everyday wins.

What is Your Ultimate Purpose?

One final note on the topic of setting goals for the new year.

Although setting goals is a great way to motive yourself and give yourself something physically achievable to work towards, it is important to remember that goals are fleeting in nature. We work towards them, we achieve (or sometimes we don’t) and then we move on to the next.

Instead, seeking to understand our purpose can help motivate us when achieving goals. It offers us a reminder of why we set the goal in the first place and why we spend our time every day working away at it.

Ask yourself, do your goals align with your purpose? If not you may want to ask yourself why you are trying to achieve them at all.

Think BIG and SMALL: Summary

“Wait. So, are you telling me to think big or small when trying to achieve goals?”

The answer is both. Your vision will provide you with a powerful motivational “pull”, it provides you with an answer to ‘why’ you are doing what you are doing. Your goals tell you ‘what’ you are going to do to work towards your ‘why’. Then by breaking your goals into bite-sized chunks outline ‘how’ you are going to do it.

So, what is stopping you from moving your first ‘small stone’ today?