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January has come and gone, and we keep making promises to ourselves – hoping to create long-term changes. Whether it’s losing weight, quitting smoking, or even making TikToks, it’s easy to start but hard to maintain.
However, there are ways to plan for long-term success. Here are some of the most helpful tips:
1. Start small
Start as small as you can. A helpful book on this topic is ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear, which talks about how the small steps can lead to the biggest changes. Clear explains how Elon Musk manages his day – he looks at his visionary goals broken down into small actionable items, which lead to big consequences.
You need to ask yourself if the small step you’re taking is moving you towards your goal. On days when you don’t feel like doing anything, even 1% movement in that direction is a win.
As James Clear summarizes “every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”
2. Adopt a beginner’s mind
Starting something new as we get older is scary, as we have so much ego around failure. In Will Smith’s memoir, “will“, he explains how he adopted a beginner’s mindset at every stage when he was looking to level up.
We need to cultivate that mindset when we look to make our New Year’s goals otherwise, you may feel it’s a grind to accomplish them. If you visualize your life and approach it from a sense of trying something new, with all the mistakes that will happen, it gives you a chance to take it easier on yourself and focus on the process.
3. Understand the journey
David Foster Wallace may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but his book “This Is Water” is relevant when reflecting on your goals. Your life is a series of moments, and how you feel about yourself when there are no people around you (or phones to distract you) is the quality of your life:
“It is about simple awareness — awareness of what is so real and essential, so hidden in plain sight all around us, that we have to keep reminding ourselves, over and over: “This is water, this is water.”
Sometimes it is worth taking a step back and asking yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing. Understanding that it could be a long journey – and taking action should be a daily habit if you’re truly looking to accomplish your goals.
Remember, we can not control the results – only the process, and using those tips could help guide you on your journey through 2022.
Jonathan “Yoni” Frenkel is a content strategist and founder of YKC Media, a digital marketing agency that works with the global tech/venture/startup community.
Forbes Israel Contributors are independent writers that were individually picked by Forbes staff. The writers are experts in their field and they provide professional commentary and analysis of current events. The Contributor’s content isn’t sponsored
