10 Tips To Actually Achieve Your Dreams Next Year

Here are 10 simple things we can do to start:

Saying yes to one thing could mean saying no to something even more important, and it could ultimately steer you away from your goals. Though tempting, saying yes to a night out drinking means saying no to that workout, that family time, or that sleep you’ve been craving.

Steer clear of unreasonable, lofty resolutions. Telling yourself you're going to go to the gym seven days a week every week is probably a bit overly ambitious. It would be more productive to start off with three days and get some wins under your belt before you move onto next steps.

Look at your current schedule and take stock of all you’ve already got going on, then make a reasonable addition or consciously take something else away to make room for a new, attainable goal.

Most of us give up when we’re tapped out, so you’ll need energy in order to make real change. Take small steps to manage your energy so you’re not wiped out by the end of the day — eat plenty of protein in the morning, take breaks throughout the day, and leave a good 15 minutes to relax and digest after lunch.

Stop yapping about what you plan to do and just get to work. Don't let other people deter you — you can inspire your friends with your results, and then use your momentum to support their journeys too.

We’re terrible at building time for ourselves into our busy schedules, and great at filling them with the desires of others. If your resolution isn’t booked into your calendar, then when were you planning on doing it? If you really want to achieve your resolutions, set aside the time you'll need to work on them. Pen yourself in.

It's one thing to slap something onto your calendar, and a whole other to honor it as a commitment. Time is precious — use it as an asset and invest it towards your goals. Create a habit of completing a task during the time period you've allotted for it. Get good with time and you’ll get better with life.

Get up and do something active (10 reps of some low-intensity exercise) every 25 minutes. Within a week, you’ll likely notice some newfound energy that you can re-invest into achieving the promises you've made to yourself.

Our thoughts are haphazard enough — by the time they become words, we’ve dangled a lot of chaos out into the world. Try to complete this exercise in restraint at least once a month (you can limit it to the morning if you can’t block out the whole day). Once you return to speaking, you’ll be better at measuring your words and aligning them with your intent.

If you only had room for five plants in your garden, what would they be? How much water would they require? Apply the same level of selectivity to your dreams. Think about what’s really important to you and what you need to do to water those things and bring them to life over the next few years. This way, when new things pop up, we can identify them as weeds and pluck them.

For more advice on how to achieve your dreams, check out my new book, The Urban Monk – Eastern Wisdom and Modern Hacks to Stop Time and Find Success, Happiness, and Peace, available for preorder now.