It’s that time of year again to make changes, here we go it's 2019…….Yes our New Year is imminent and as always, we look to make changes to our lives. Every year the same process takes place, but did you know it is as little as 7% of the people who want to make the change who actually make the change and do something about it.

I always smile to myself as I enter the gym in January, the smile mixed with frustration. As I watch the people who have made a decision to get fit, I get very frustrated as the equipment is always taken especially the treadmills. But I know by the end of the month the die-hard trainers will be there with the majority of new fitness fanatics gone. Why is this?

Quite frankly people’s expectations are far from realistic, plus they want to make huge changes quickly not understanding they are life changes. Sadly, that is not the way to do it; it is about little changes. Whatever you choose to do in life whether it is personal or professionally it is the small changes that benefit and start the process for the significant changes.

Number one it is fantastic you have decided to make a change, a great start. A great question to ask yourself at the beginning of the year “What do I want to be different this year”? That is the goal, then “How am I going to get there”. The key here is to break down the areas into small compartments keeping a log of the day, what has happened compared to what you think has happened. You need to keep a record to follow the reality.  What has changed through the day, why, what was different about you on that day compared to another day? These are great questions and a great process to understand where you are and to start the change process, making little changes all the time.

You are creating new habits, as tricky as it is you have to put what you dislike doing, first. If you don’t you will let things slip, you have to be disciplined, but when you are, the discipline in itself has tremendous benefits.

It is great to watch your journey, in fact, incredible to monitor your journey. Always ask yourself how I can make it work, then forcing yourself to make it work? Coaching, especially Solution Focused Coaching and GROW work incredibly well with goal setting when done correctly, that is the key when done correctly.

So, as I sit and make my changes, I am already thinking about the little changes I am going to make this year, with the question where do I want to be by the end of the year. In life, it is so important to work on something improving yourself all the time. One point to consider is to remember you are not a failure if one day does not go to plan. It is the long-term aim with a roller coaster journey taking place to get there; it is the overall result you are working towards.

Finally, don’t compare yourself to others, your world is your world, and every single one of us works differently and thinks differently. We all have different patterns set up, so the change is about you as you are the most critical person. So, I wish you best wishes and excellent goal setting for the New Year, Go for it!

Claire Moody is our head coach at Target Training, and you can read more about her here.  She delivers training on coaching for managers courses, and you can learn more about these courses here and see dates here