Wellbeing: Lifestyle coach Karl Williams on how to achieve your 2024 goals

How do you fancy becoming one of the world’s top eight per cent of people who achieve their goals this year? No nonsense lifestyle coach Karl Williams tells you how. . .

Whether you call them New Year’s resolutions or simply goals, chances are you woke up last month with aspirations for this year. Ambitions that will fuel personal growth, happiness, and better health. Goals that pave the way toward the life you want.

Despite these enticing outcomes, research reveals a sad reality:

• 23 per cent abandon their goals within the first week

• 43 per cent give up by the end of January

• Only eight per cent ultimately achieve their goals

This article aims to equip you with simple, proven tips to ensure you belong to that successful eight per cent.

Goals alone aren’t enough

While pivotal in setting life’s direction, goals merely serve as the destination. It’s your habits that pave the path.

Once you’ve identified your goal, it’s crucial to outline the daily or weekly actions (process) necessary to materialize it. Once you’ve done this, set the goal aside and focus on the process each day.

Expect setbacks

As lovely as it would be for the universe to bend to your will, life doesn’t work that way. Obstacles pop up when we least expect them.

Here’s how to deal with them.

1.Anticipate these obstacles ahead of time and come up with a plan to try and prevent them.

2.Have another plan for what you will do if something goes wrong and how you will get back on track.

This way when you encounter an obstacle, not only are you more prepared to deal with it and not let it stop you, but you know exactly how to carry on towards your goal.

Find the perfect goal balance

Setting goals and cultivating habits requires a delicate balance.

Goals should be:

-Easy and realistic enough that you’re confident you can achieve them.

-Difficult enough that they lead to desirable outcomes which you’re motivated to achieve.

-Have some ‘slack’ that allows for the aforementioned obstacles and doesn’t require perfection to make them happen.

Finding this goal sweet spot is the key to being inspired and motivated to stick to them.

You may want to change a lot in your life, but the answer is rarely to do it all in one go.

If you have a big audacious goal, that's great. Just make sure you break it down into smaller targets that push the boundaries of your comfort zone without going too far beyond it.

Ignore Your Feelings. . .

. . .at least when it comes to motivation. The common misconception about motivation is waiting for it before taking action. However, motivation often follows action, not the other way around. Committing to habits irrespective of feelings fosters consistency, leading to better progress and faster results.

And for those struggling:

Don’t let a rocky start define the rest of your year. Maintain your goal but explore alternate approaches. It’s not failure; it’s learning and adapting.

Remember, the only true failure is giving up prematurely.

Questions? Feel free to reach out anytime via my Instagram or website. I’m always happy to help.

Thanks for reading this today, I appreciate it. Here’s to making 2024 a fulfilling year!

Karl is a lifestyle coach who helps clients to build better habits and break bad ones. Find out more at karlwilliams.co