Mike Hunder: 6 Things to Help You Make Things Happen this Year

If you really want 2020 to be better than your 2019, the time to start is now. To start well, you have to take a quick look at the things you accomplished in the past year and the things you didn’t accomplish. The goals you set and achieved, and the ones you failed to achieve or even start. This review will provide you a good sense of where you are so you can plan for a better 2020.

Here are 6 things to do to make 2020 better than previous years:

Have clear goals for the year

People who succeed have goals and people who have goals mostly succeed. Here’s why: if you don’t have clear goals, you are liable to end up somewhere else – mostly where you did not intend. It also means you are liable to work for a long time for those who do! And guess what they have for you? Not much!

So the first step in your 2020 plan is to have clear goals about the things you really want to achieve this year – beyond your 2019 result. Then you can divide this to get your quarterly targets. This will give you a sense of direction throughout the year.

Write down your daily to-do list

Once you’re happy with your goals and targets, write down your to-do list. Prepare a weekly to-do list from your goals and targets and then break this further into small daily actions that will help you accomplish results for each day, each week, and ultimately your goals for the year. I have found that writing down a to-do list helps me focus my thoughts, actions, and habits on those things that are really important to achieving my goals while keeping me from being distracted by irrelevant pursuits. That’s why it is important you write down your to-do list(s), so you can align your daily actions with your goals for the year.

Spend your quiet time adjusting daily actions

Between taking care of the home, your children, your career, your business, and other daily activities – everything seems urgent these days. One smart way to improve the quality of your daily actions is by setting aside a time at the end of each day, in quiet contemplation. This will allow you to reflect on what happened during the day and make the required adjustments in your subsequent daily actions and habits.

Embrace continuous self-improvement to acquire new skills

Today, research shows that knowledge in every field doubles every two years, on average. This means that to stay afloat, you have to double your own knowledge base at least every 2 years! I remember what a mentor of mine, Mr. Akinsola Akinfemiwa once said to us years back: “read at least one book a month, to keep up the pace of learning, to refine your attitude and your personality”. The thing is, you have to find time to learn a bit more every day to develop the skills you need to achieve your goals. This means attending seminars, reading books, taking online courses, etc., to improve your skills, refine your attitude, your reactions, your emotions and your personality.

Accept responsibility to take control of your results

Today, there are growing calls on the government to support new business growth and to improve the unemployment situation. I am reminded of a situation back in the days; I used to complain about unfair company practices and lack of promotions, among others. Then Dr. Rotimi Adelola, a mentor of mine said to me, “Mike, it is not what happens to you that determines your future. What happens, happens to everyone. The difference is what you do”!

Here’s what this also means: if you really want to make your 2020 better than 2019, don’t bother waiting for government support. The difference is what you do! That’s accepting responsibility. This will allow you to take control of your productivity and results – thereby helping you achieve your goal for the year.

Become a believer

Finally, become a believer! This means you should believe in your plans, the goals, and targets you have set for the year. The recognition of self-worth is the beginning of progress and it provides the motivation and energy you need to keep focusing on your goals. Recognizing your self-worth helps you replace fear with faith. This confidence is what makes you promise yourself in advance that you will make it.