Got to the end of January and feeling a bit flat?

Worried that you’ve not achieved those goals for January that you carefully wrote down in your notebook? Or (gasp) that you’ve never even started them?

Then I want you to do one thing for me.

Sit down. Close your eyes and take a deep breath in and out.  And then remember…there’s actually more than one month in a year.  In fact, you’ve got a whole 11 months left!

Sorry if I’m pointing out the obvious, it’s just that so many people get so disheartened at this time of year.  They start the new year on a high. They’re just so pumped. This is going to be THEIR year. Sound familiar?

Then reality hits. Something happens. They lose track and before they know it, it’s the end of January.  They’re SO depressed and fed up about this fact that they haven’t done everything they set out to do. So they think they might as well give up.  And they simply can’t muster the courage to do anything else until the next new year – yup, almost a year later.

You don’t need me to tell you that this is absolute madness! January is one twelfth of a year.  Even if you take the whole of the month off (and this isn’t a terrible idea, seeing that as a jeweller you probably need a month off after the Christmas madness), then you still have another 11 twelfths of the year to put it right.

So if you’re feeling a bit down, consider this a pep talk just for you. And here’s a plan to get you back on track:

  1. Forget about January. Put it in a box, remind yourself it was just one tiny part of a year and in fact there’s nothing you can now do about it.
  2. Decide what you want to achieve by next January (it actually needs to be feasible!)
  3. Split this down into 11 different steps.
  4. Plan to do one step for every month over the coming year.
  5. Then find a lovely card, and write your future self a letter telling you what your goals are.
  6. HIde it away until next year.
  7. Then as every month comes along, plan how you’re going to achieve each monthly goal.
  8. When you get to next January open your letter and be astounded at what you’ve achieved.
  9. Celebrate!

So why does this work?

Well, you’re breaking it down into easy actionable steps.  You’re not worrying about the past and you’re embracing the future you.  And most of all, by achieving small, regular goals, you’re creating a new habit.  It’s creating these habits that smashes goals, builds businesses and changes lives.  And that’s because building a business is hard. It takes time and regular and consistent actions. And the best way to do that is to make those actions a habit.

It’s also really weird, but often when we do achieve our goals, because we reach them gradually, we don’t realise how much we’ve achieved when we do get there.  That’s why writing a letter to your future self is such a great idea. You can look back and remember how much you really have achieved!

So I hope you’re now thoroughly ‘pepped up’ and ready to go.

Happy goal re-setting!

P.s. If you want some really kick-ass and positive cards, then I’ve got a little surprise for you! 

I’ve designed these fun and positive little cards that are completely free for you to download now.

Just click here to download them and then you can print out as many copies as you like.

Jewellery in photos by Elsiem Jewellery; Photos by: byemmajane.co.uk