As we get to the middle of January, those great intentions we had for 2023 are starting to become a bit of a slog.  Perhaps, you’ve set yourself a fitness goal, but going out for a run when it’s dark and miserable is getting less appealing.  Maybe you’ve decided to look for a new job, and the endless scouring of job boards and CV writing is getting a bit tiring and is starting to feel like a full-time job in itself.

The question is, how do we stay motivated to make long-term changes?

The key might be breaking your goal down into tiny non-negotiable behavioural changes rather than focusing on an outcome.  All too often we look at goals (or New Year’s resolutions) as outcome-focused, but a key differentiator for high performance is consistent behaviour, so identifying a clear, simple change that you can commit to doing with consistency.

What does this look like in practice?

Using the two examples above of getting fit and looking for a job, a small behavioural change might be to always walk rather than take the car or the bus or to spend 15 minutes every day interacting with your network on LinkedIn.  The key with both of these goals is that you’re doing them every day and they’re small, low impact changes.  This allows the change to become second nature and become non-negotiable.

Rather than focus on the outcome that you want to achieve, think about the small changes that will help you to achieve your goals.  Make them simple. Make them count.  Make them clear.  And above all else be consistent.

So, as your motivation starts to decline to hit your new year’s goal, see it as an invitation to reframe and ask yourself – what are the small changes that I can consistently commit to?

If you would benefit from working through your goals for this year and help breaking them down into the changes that will make the difference, please book a free discovery call here