Set yourself up to fail in 2022

New Year goals are like traffic cones. They cordon off a lane for what seems like ages, you drive past most days and nothing has changed but the cones are still there preventing you from turning right, overtaking the guy in front and getting the coffee you can already taste.

Months later you're complaining that you still can't see any changes, everything is the same, what a waste of time, money and effort.

Sound familiar?

How many New Year's resolutions have you given yourself this year? Five, 10, 22? That's a lot of traffic cones. Stop right there.

The only lane you should be getting familiar with this year is the one signposted 'Failure this way'. You may shudder at the thought of this, it's a rocky road ahead but here's why you should take it.

The faster you fail the quicker you learn

All those New Year resolutions you have written down in your planner, how many of them have you carried over from last year? Be honest, why didn't you do them? Was it time, money, you weren't ready? Or was it because you were afraid to see them through in case you failed?

Imagine if you had done them all and it had gone all wrong, how different would that resolution be for 2022. The mistakes you made back in 2021 you would now know how to fix.

Learning from our mistakes whilst difficult, allow us to find resolutions, alternative ways and how to avoid the potholes to enable us to get back on the right track.

The more you fail the quicker you progress

Imagine if we lived in a world where it was OK to make mistakes. Well, guess what, we do, it's just you that will not allow yourself to veer off course.

Look at your list of goals for this year, how many can you implement now? How many can you fail at so that you're not wasting time procrastinating and worrying about whether it will work! 

Once you have failed fast, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and move on, leave it in your rearview mirror. Imagine where you'll be by February having learnt from those mistakes!

The sooner you get comfortable with failing, the sooner you get uncomfortable with being a perfectionist.

Ah, the perfectionist - that underlying imposter that loves to make sure you never fulfil your goals or desires. To her, your goals are never ready, you just need one more thing before you send it. It's not quite good enough and what if you put it out there for all the world to see and it's an epic fail. 

Those New Year resolutions will stay perfectly planned in your diary, highlighted in all the colours of the rainbow, never getting the chance to realise their dreams.

The great thing about failing is that it quietens the perfectionist, it pushes her into a corner as you get more comfortable with adjustment, pivoting, knowing it's not quite there but it's good enough and just doing it!

Know that success comes from failure

Do you know why you're doing what you're doing? Why have you set these particular goals for 2022? What's the outcome you are looking for?

If you're nodding then you will know that there is probably more than one way to get there. Your goals, whilst looking lovely all highlighted in your planner will need actioning to see whether they work or not.

By failing, it will show you where you need to go next and how you need to change your approach and keep changing your approach until you get there. So embrace 2022 for the failures, celebrate them as ultimately they will lead to your success.