In the transition from one year to the next, many of us measure – taking stock of the previous year – unfulfilled desires and unrealized goals.

We wonder what went wrong when we had the will, ability, talent or organization to achieve what we set out to do, attributing it to factors such as bad luck, adverse circumstances or destiny.

But can we do better in the new year? Through targeted words, the sociologist and Ph.D. in Psychology , Georgia Delaki, shows us how to think and behave, urging us to incorporate concepts and strategies into our lives, which will not only help us achieve the goals we plan for the new year, but they will also provide us with a better everyday life:

1. Determination: Start now! Goethe said “Do you really want what you want? Seize this moment.” Say “no” to procrastination, which will cause you to lose your enthusiasm – which is one of the first steps of creation. Stop thinking about how hard what you want to achieve is or when you will be able to accomplish it. Seize the moment and start making it happen, leaving aside excuses and excuses– “I won’t make it”, “there are too many difficulties”, “I won’t last in time” – which prevent you from taking action and make you think limitingly .
2. Assertiveness:Avoid the passive way of communicating with others, for fear of displeasing them or not getting along with them. Make known your “wants” and your feelings targeted at the areas that interest you – e.g. relationships, professional recognition – and vigorously claim what you believe you deserve. Look at every goal you want to achieve or every situation you experience from the point of view of possibility and not of weakness: “I can get my degree this year”, “I will earn the position I deserve at work”.
3. Vision: Don’t give up at the first difficulty or get comfortable with it. Stay focused on your goal with persistence and enlist your imagination as a tool to achieve it. Just as a good director plans and completes the presentation of a project in his mind and then executes it, visualize yourself and your life when you have accomplished it and the benefits you will enjoy. For example, if you wish to lose weight or get rid of a substance, imagine yourself with a new attractive appearance or free of a bad habit. Picture in your mind what you want and keep that picture in your mind every day.
4. Positive thinking:Negativity destroys creativity and the realization of the goals you have set. Keep in mind that your body is an inexhaustible source of energy and positive emotions. Therefore, go towards your goal as if there is no failure and cultivate the ability to see things from their positive side: so even a negative outcome of a plan will not disappoint you, instead you will use it as a source of knowledge and it will work out new as a motivation to rebuild your strength, to become better and to evolve.
5. Self-confidence : Self-confidence is one of the most important feelings for the development of our lives and the success of our goals, since it creates a positive mood and optimism. Treat yourself with love and respect and trust your abilities. At the same time, take advantage of the two-way relationship of self-confidence and realistic expectations, by not setting goals that are completely beyond your capabilities. Boost your confidence with realistic expectations and keep in mind that with boosted confidence you can reach your expectations.
6. Self-control:Even if you think that announcing your goals will make it easier to achieve them, keep in mind that this way you are also likely to encounter cautious comments, even if they come from your own people – who may cultivate doubts in you . At least in the beginning keep your intention to realize your goal to yourself – not out of selfishness or secretiveness, but so that the “sirens” don’t distract you and affect you negatively, backsliding or weakening your effort. Free yourself from the need for confirmation from others, trust yourself and act according to what the voice of your soul dictates.
7. Love: Khalil Gibransaid “Every work is empty without love, because work is love realized.” Don’t forget, therefore, to “dress up” not only the goal you are trying to achieve but also every other pursuit and activity of yours in the new year, with the cloak of love. Do what you love or put love into everything you do, to the point where the dividing line between effort/work and enjoyment blurs. When you can no longer tell where one ends and the other begins, not only will you have achieved your goal, but your whole life will have acquired magic.