11 Things To Do To Make 2019 A Better Year

11 Things To Do To Make 2019 A Better Year
By Mobolaji Atolagbe

Simon could not understand how fast the year went and how it was already December 2018. He does not have a dime in his account, he is not driving a car yet and he is still bloody single.
All the plans of riches, glory, and victory in 2018 did not come to pass. To make matters worse, it is just a few more weeks before another 365 days begins and he does not know what to do.

He does not know how to rate how he did for the whole year and hasn’t even made any effort to enjoy the Christmas season or prepare for the new year.
”When someone has extra cash and rest of mind, he can then celebrate the Yuletide season,” he said to himself as he lay in bed on Sunday afternoon after coming back from church scrolling through his phone.
He then received an email with the subject line: “11 things to do to make 2019 a better year.”

Out of curiosity, he opened the mail. Below are the excerpts of what he read,
11 Things To Do To Make 2019 A Better Year;
1. The first step is to review 2018
2018 went by rather quickly. Most people do not know how the time went so fast but it is quite easy to retrace your steps. It will even be easier if you wrote down your goals at the beginning of the year.
Review all your goals; those you achieved and those that you did not even to start work on. Note what the challenge was with each of them.
If you did not write your goals down at the beginning of this year, do not fret. Think through the things that happened this year and jot down the highlights.
What were the things that happened that you were extremely proud of and the things that you learned from?
Be brutally honest when doing this review, take responsibility for the situations that you could have done better on and note the things that made you extremely proud of yourself.
Write all these things down in your journal/book. Only from an honest review can you move to the next level.

2. Be Grateful
When you are done with your review, close your eyes, take a deep breath and be grateful for where you are.
You might not be where you want to be but trust me, you are not where you were a year ago. Be grateful for the daily opportunity that you have to be able to try again.
Always learn to look at the positive side of your situation and be determined not to relent on the goals you are pursuing
Get this right, financial prosperity is not the only pursuit in life. Be grateful to be alive and that you are looking for ways to improve yourself.
Having great people in your life to be there for you emotionally, physically and mentally is a great privilege. Do not take it for granted.

3. Identify your patterns and how you can replicate the ones that work.
The next step is to identify your patterns. There is a certain way you think, act and react.
Take time out to think through the things that you did this year and note the points that you could have done better and the points you were successful.
Was there an external factor that ensured you got your goal? Was there a catalyst that was not present previously? For example, did you work better when there was a gift attached to achieving a goal?
Was external pressure good for you? Did you deliver better results when your boss was breathing down your neck?
Note all these factors and decide to work on the negative points that might impede you from achieving your goals while you should aim to create an atmosphere that will allow you to achieve your best results.
You can forcefully create a situation similar to what allowed you to deliver your best results repeatedly once you can identify the patterns that work best for you. For instance, if you noticed you only work harder because there was competition, create some sort of competition when you have anything important to do.

4. Write down your vision and goals for 2019
Do not keep your vision and goals for 2019 in your head. Take your time to write down the things that you want to achieve/ improve with your spirituality, the improvements you desire in your career, the growth you want in your finances, intimacy you want with your loved ones, and other aspects of your life that is important.

Ensure your goals are SMART.
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time-bound
In other words, if you plan to buy a car in 2019, do not write down: “I must buy a car in 2019 in Jesus name” or if you are looking to travel abroad for the first time, you cannot just write: “I must travel to a country outside Africa by his grace”
Write down specific details: “I will buy a Toyota Camry 2007 with leather interior at the end of the second quarter of 2019”
You can then find out the cost of a Toyota Camry 2007 in the market, calculate your current savings and the deficit that you have to make between January and the end of June 2019.
You can also start looking for great deals online or through your friends so you can identify how you will buy the car once you have the required cash.

5. Know that MORE will be required.
For things to change, YOU have to change. The reason people never change is that they get stuck doing the same thing.
Insanity is doing something the same way over and over but expecting a different result”-Albert Einstein
Still using the example of buying a car in 2019, (There must be someone reading this that has the intention to purchase a car next year.
I’ll talk about my experience of buying my first car in the next post) you’ll have to improve your savings and also look for more opportunities to help achieve this goal.
If you are a graphics artist that is employed full time, you can start looking for side gigs that will assist you to increase your earnings or a better paying job if you are open to changing jobs.
What you have to realize is that there will be more work, skill, or sacrifice required to get you to the next level. Get creative, it might not necessarily mean hard work but smart work.
Remember, what got you here will not get you there.

6. Make a plan
Now that you realize that more is required for you to achieve your goals, you have to make a plan. Research is the best way to start. Look for opportunities online and talk to people that have done it before.
After getting as much information as possible, you can now begin to draw a plan on how you want to achieve your goals.
‘For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Luke 14:28–30

7. MASSIVE ACTION
No matter how great your goals and plans are well written out, without proper action, you won’t fulfill them.
You can believe that you are capable of achieving all the things you have written out but without taking action, it is as good as just dreams.
‘Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.’ James 2:17
You have to begin to take action according to your goals and plans, you can only get to achieve what you want by stepping out of your comfort zone and taking massive action.

8. Constantly review your goals daily and weekly.
Tiny drops make an ocean. The baby steps you take daily will assist you in the process of achieving your goals.
Have a habit of meditating every morning and while doing this, you can review your goals from the journal you have written it in.
This way, you are certain that your daily activities will have something that will lead to you achieving your goals.
Also, every weekend take time out to look at what you had achieved towards your goals the previous week and what you can do in the coming week to ensure that you are still working towards your goal. With your mind constantly thinking about your goals, you’ll see opportunities that will assist you in the process.
“Our eyes only see and our ears only hear what our brain is looking for.”-Dan Sullivan.

9. Do 90 days sprints and not New Year resolutions
Do you know why New Year resolutions never work?
Because the end of the year seems so far and there is little or no pressure till you get to October.
Instead of going on a 365 days run, let us do 90 days sprint.

At the end of every quarter ask yourself the following questions:
1. What are my winning achievements? These are the things that you are proud that you achieved in the last quarter.
2. Focus on? The next most important things that you should focus on going into the next quarter
3. Bigger and Better? This is the ONE goal that is giving you the most excitement in the new quarter.
10. Relationships
This is an important aspect of your growth next year because you cannot achieve all these things alone. There is a place for your family and friends, business contacts, mentors, and mentees.
You need a strong support system to assist you on the journey. You might need advice or information or a simple introduction. Your relationships can give you all of that and much more.

11. Grace.
I believe we are all spiritual beings and need the direction of the Almighty in all that we do. Always remember to pray in the entire process.
God is interested in your success and will reach out to you through people and thoughts.
Do not fail to heed to the prompting that comes from the Almighty. God is in charge of everything but he has put you in charge of the daily running of your life.

Here are the Key points to take into 2019
1. Review your 2018. Be honest with yourself. Write down your goofs and victories.
2. Have an attitude of gratitude . You might not be where you want to be but you are far from where you were.
3. Identify your patterns . There are things that work in your favor. Find out what they are and do more of it.
4. Write down your goals for 2019. Do not leave it in your head. Clearly written down goals have a better opportunity of being achieved.
5. More is required. What got you through 2018 will not get you through 2019. You’ll need to improve.
6. Make a plan. Things might not go exactly as planned but it helps you know all the things that are needed to achieve your goals.
7. Massive Action. The only thing stopping you from achieving your goals is your lack of taking action. More action creates more opportunity.
8. Constantly Review Your Goals. Do not just keep it in your journal. Look at it daily and weekly.
9. 90-day sprints, not New Year Resolutions. Have a review of your goals every quarter. This will keep you focused and provides more possibility of achieving your goals.
10. Relationships matter. [/b]You cannot travel the journey alone, you’ll need a support system and a great team.
11. Grace for the race. God is the most important factor. Pay attention to your relationship with him.
Simon sighed after reading through.
“This is very practical, Let me give it a shot,” he thought to himself as he rolled out of bed to pick up his journal and begin to follow the steps that were provided in the mail.
P.S: Happiness is free. In the constant strive to be better people and achieve our goals, remember to be happy. Have a smile on your face and a helping hand. People are going through various things and it is our duty to help no matter how little we can.

VoiceAirMedia says Be happy, be human, and be helpful.
Enjoy the last days of 2018