If you already gave up on your New Year’s resolution, take heart. How to set goals that stick, any day of the year.

About half of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, and many of those goals are abandoned by February. U.S. Bank Goals Coach Eddie Rivera shares some advice for business owners, families and individuals on setting goals that stick – any day of the year.

Don’t dwell on the past – learn from it

“What’s done is done. What’s gone is gone. One of the best life lessons I’ve learned is how to let go and move on,” Eddie says.

That doesn’t mean ignoring the past altogether. In fact, you should look to your experiences, including failures, as a source of wisdom. If you tried a business strategy that didn’t produce the results you wanted, bring the team together to discuss what you could learn and do differently next time. If you abandoned your New Year’s resolution before Groundhog Day, approach the failure with curiosity instead of self-criticism.

“Those lessons and learnings from the past are greater when you get to use them in the future,” Eddie says. “They make you stronger.”

Start now – no matter the date

If you’re already thinking about what your resolution will be next year, don’t wait for January. Eddie considers New Year’s resolutions a form of procrastination.

“Why would you wait 12 months to make resolutions about goals for your life, health, career, finances or future?”

Instead, he encourages people to begin with the first step: setting meaningful goals.

Greatness begins with looking ahead

Eddie suggests setting thoughtful, ambitious goals that come from a place of personal meaning and inspiration. If you are emotionally connected to your goal, you will be more motivated to keep working toward it.

“Don’t let the past take from you what the future has for you. Greatness comes from looking ahead.”

U.S. Bank goals coaches use a process called goals discovery to help clients identify and prioritize their most significant life goals.

Look at your habits and behavior

Habits are patterns of behavior, repeated over time. If your habits don’t align with your goal, then you won’t move forward.

“Pause for a moment and think about this: If you continue doing what you are doing, you’re going to continue getting what you are getting,” Eddie says. “And if what you are getting is not what you want, then you owe it to yourself to make a change. It’s time to make different choices.”

Invest in yourself

Eddie suggests clients prioritize their personal growth by improving their skills and seeking additional resources to help achieve their goals. For a business owner planning a strategic pivot, this might mean taking courses to learn new skills or enlisting the help of a coach or mentor.

“Investing in yourself means believing that you’re capable of more than what you’re currently doing, personally, professionally, physically, financially, spiritually, in every aspect of your life,” Eddie says. “It also requires, at times, foregoing all other activities to invest in yourself and your business. Spend your time doing things in order to learn, grow and create value. This is the time to invest in you, so that you can achieve the best of you.”

Find words of strength

Language matters, and Eddie recommends his customers use positive statements to describe their goals and next steps. Here’s one to start with:

“My best days are ahead of me. Great things, people, opportunities, health, peace and prosperity are available to me.”

Remain resilient

Setbacks are inevitable, and long-term goals require resilience.

“Never let temporary – or even permanent – adversities make you abandon your longstanding goals. Choose yourself, today. Choose to live your today not as a bystander – not as a prisoner to the past and beliefs that keep you stuck – but to instead live as a designer of your future, engaged in the new possibilities in front of you,” Eddie says.

Take a leap of faith

For many people, the hardest part of achieving a goal is finding the momentum to get started. Eddie encourages anyone reading this article to consider this their personal call to action:

“This is the time to be bold and leap forward in the direction of your dreams. Fear and self-doubt have no place in your life. Trust that you will recognize the perfect people and determine the best opportunities that will help you turn your goals and dreams into reality. Nothing can stop you as you pursue them with enthusiasm and confidence. Let this be the time, the moment, the day you leap into the life you’re meant to live.”

For more advice from U.S. Bank Goals Coach Eddie Rivera, read about ways to stay positive when searching for a job.

Learn more about goals coaching or schedule a free goals discovery session.

Goals Coaches do not:

• Recommend or offer any products or services of U.S. Bank or its affiliates.
• Conduct financial planning or provide investment advice.
• Make recommendations or give advice on matters involving health, including physical, mental, emotional or medical.

U.S. Bank assumes no responsibility for and makes no claims concerning the merit or sufficiency of your goals and does not assume any responsibility or liability for any losses or other outcomes resulting from decisions made by you, actions taken or not taken by you, in connection with U.S. Bank and U.S. Bank Goals Coaching services.