Lifestyle | How to achieve positive change in 2016

With the start of a new year, many of us feel the need for change and set goals for the things we want to achieve. As the year begins, we have a feeling that this is our chance to make changes and start over, especially if there are some aspects of life we’re not completely content with.

It may be that you have a feeling in the back of your mind that life as it is okay, but you’re hoping for something bigger and better to come along. The problem is that if you don’t set yourself goals to achieve what you want, life changes won’t just magically appear. It doesn’t matter what you are looking to achieve. It might be a material possession or it might be a career change. Perhaps you would like to move up the property ladder or to live in another country. Maybe you want to see a development in your relationship. Whatever changes you want in life, you need to set goals and take action to achieve them. The path to what you want won’t always be a smooth one and your goals may change, but a proactive approach is the only way to initiate positive change in your life.

Tips on setting goals

Believe that what you want is possible. Self-belief is a crucial part of goal-setting. The people who do well in life are those who believe that they can, while doubters tend to get stuck in a rut and are then not able to move forward. It’s a big step to rid yourself of self-doubt, but this is key in reaching any goals you set.
Make a note. Now is a great time to write down your goals for the coming year. You have plenty of time to set wheels in motion and work towards them over the next 11 months. And if you write your goals down, it helps you focus in on what you want, and provides you with a record that you can refer back to.
Grade your goals. Sometimes, the goals we set ourselves aren’t really ours, they’re the expectations that others have of us. A classic example is a career choice. Are you following a career path because it fills you with passion and fulfilment or because other people think you should take that route? You’ve got to be excited by your goals, and to feel inspired by them, in order to take them through to fruition. If a goal doesn’t generate this passion, perhaps it’s not one that you should pursue.
Another way of checking that you’re aiming for the right goals is to visualise your life once you have achieved those things. Imagine the new you, with the goals accomplished. How does life look and feel? Who are you sharing your new future with, are you happier than you are now? Is that future existence better than the one you currently have? Visualisation of the future can also affect how you feel about life now. All of us can sometimes be guilty of looking forward to an idealised future existence and failing to appreciate the good things in our lives today.