Imagine this will be the best year of your life. Not the best year so far, but the best you will ever have. That will certainly set the bar high for your goal setting. You know nothing will top whatever you do in the next 12 months. This may help you see things from a new perspective. To take this even further, try this: imagine what goals the most dynamic, powerful, effective person you can think of be setting for the best year of their life. Don’t just do this to compare to others or judge yourself, but in order to consider something you never have and get creative with your goal setting. What will really make a difference this year?

Every new year I like to talk about setting and achieving goals. Many people set new years resolutions like “be healthier” or “work out more” and like clockwork, gyms around the country are packed for the next month. Sometime in February, most people slide back into old routines and gyms are empty once more.

There are several reasons for this. For one, it is difficult to stay motivated while lifting weights, running on a treadmill or really doing any sort of exercise purely for the sake of exercise. It’s just not that fun or engaging, so most people lose interest. You must have a great reason that motivates you to keep going. In martial arts, while we definitely want to get exercise, it’s far from our only motivation. We get so much enjoyment and growth from our practice that it’s easy to find a reason to show up week after week.

Second, most people have a difficult time forming new habits that stick. The first 30 days are crucial, and without the proper understanding and framework most goals fail in that time. This is why we talk often about the right way to approach goals in order to succeed, especially when it comes to big goals.

A well-known acronym that is useful in formulating a goal is SMART. To ensure your success, make sure each goal is:

Specific (Instead of “work out more” say “attend martial arts class”)
Measurable (Instead of “attend when I can” say “twice or more each week”)
Action-Based (Instead of “get better” say “focus on one doing one class at a time”)
Reasonable (Instead of “I’ll get a black belt in 1 year” say “I’ll practice hard and improve as much as I can in each class”)
Timely (Instead of “I’ll start classes soon” say “I’ll start by the end of January and continue for at least 1 year”)

A well-constructed goal sounds like this: “I’ll start taking martial arts by January 31 and continue for at least a year. I’ll attend twice or more each we

ek and make up any classes I miss over the next two weeks. I’ll work hard and improve as much as I can in each class, focusing on doing one class at a time.”

In order to make 2022 your best year yet, set your goals in this way. A few other things to keep in mind when goal setting:

Write down your goals in detail. This will help you remember each of them. Also, the simple act of writing down a goal takes it out of your mind and brings it into the real world.

Tell as many people as will listen. The more people who know about your goals and will hold you accountable to what you’ve committed to the better.

Start right away. The longer you wait, the less likely you are to ever begin. When you take the first step towards completing a goal, you have momentum. Like standing at the top of a mountain and taking the first step downhill, it becomes easier to keep going than to stop.

Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many goals. If this process is new for you, start with one or two. If you make ten goals, you’ll likely complete none of them.

After you’ve gotten good at achieving your goals, add more and make them bigger. Try setting an unreasonable goal. Think of something that scares you. It’s not impossible, but you’ll have to become a bigger, better version of yourself to achieve it.

Try setting goals that aren’t just about you. Connect to your highest self and let go of the ego by making a goal about something bigger than yourself. If you are taking on a cause that is truly important to the rest of the world, the small things that usually derail you will have no effect. You’ll find yourself acting selflessly and powerfully in the face of adversity.

I encourage you to tell me your goals and get started right away!