2021 Growth Roadmap

How to Achieve Your Goals

The first step to achieving your goals is to define what your goals are. Take a few minutes to sit down and really think about what you want to achieve. Use specific numbers and create a deadline for yourself.

The next step can be to create powerful habits around your goals.

• Stick to the same time: Your brain is a lot more likely to create a habit out of something when you integrate it into your daily schedule.
• Engineer a trigger: Your alarm clock, a notification on your phone or something happening in your day can act as a powerful reminder to kickstart your habit.
• Stick to it for at least 2 months: Research shows that it takes exactly 66 days to form a new habit loop in your brain. Therefore, you should not take significant breaks in the first 2 months.
• Create SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Bound are the components of a SMART goal. By creating goals with these characteristics, you will have a greater chance of accomplishing them!

Now that you have a goal in mind, how will you achieve this goal? Break down your goal into steps and determine how long it will take you to complete each step. By mapping out exactly what you need to do to accomplish your goal, it will be easier to achieve it one step at a time!

Now is the time to take action! Fill out your own goal setting document, you can find templates online or even create one yourself!

After you fill out your goal setting document, find ways to hold yourself accountable. Whether it is setting a reminder on your phone, having an accountability partner or tracking goals and habits on an app, find ways to help you stay focused that work for you.

Here are some free habit tracking apps you can try:

Habitica - An app that turns habit tracking into a video game.

Habitify - A simple, aesthetically pleasing habit tracking app..

Strides - An app that offers a variety of ways to track different types of habits.

Another way to achieve your goals is to create a personal vision statement. After you create your vision statement, write it down and keep it somewhere where you will see it often. Be bold with your vision. Read it aloud often, commit it to memory and share it with your most trusted confidant.

A vision statement not only allows you to align your personal and professional visions, but it gives you a clearly defined roadmap for growth and success!

Here are a few things to consider when writing your vision statement:

• How do you want to live your life each day?
• Write down and describe your core values?
• What would you like to learn, teach and experience?

• What can you let go of that is no longer serving you in a positive way?
• What are your best qualities and how will you use them to impact the lives of others?
• Consider your strengths as well as weakness.
• Be bold when defining your legacy!

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits says, "Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. The same way that money multiplies through compound interest, the effects of your habits multiply as you repeat them. They seem to make little difference on any given day and yet the impact they deliver over the months and years can be enormous."

Take some time to reflect on your goals every day.

Whether it is first thing in the morning or right before you go to bed at night, write down your thoughts, achievements, things to do and things that are challenging. Ask yourself:

1. What have I or what will I accomplish today?

2. Am I on track or falling behind?

3. How is my progress impacting my wellbeing, work, and relationships?

4. What's the next thing I want to create, build, strengthen, or reinforce?

5. Who are the people I want to inspire?

6. Who are the people, places or things that inspire me?

7. What does it take to be great today?

Share your goals and thoughts with friends and family as they may be able to support you or keep you accountable.

Consider one last thing: When you model healthy behaviors, inevitably others will be inspired to mimic you. Work to be the version of happy and healthy that resonates with you and watch as the ripple effect takes place in your home, work, community and beyond!

Smola Consulting is proud to announce that we will be hosting another wellness speaker series event! We will be featuring new speakers and a new topic: Connecting to Life's Purpose

Stay tuned for more information coming!

We have re-vamped our Smola Consulting website!

Go to smolaconsulting.com to learn about our services, products, upcoming events and more!

With Valentine's Day around the corner, you may be tempted to satisfy your sweet tooth! According to an article published by Harvard School of Public Health, here are some reasons why it's okay to treat yourself to dark chocolate (in moderation) this Valentine's Day:

• Cocoa contains flavanols (plant chemicals) that may help to protect the heart.
  
• Flavanols support the production of nitric oxide in the inner lining of blood vessels (endothelium) that helps to relax the blood vessels and improve blood flow, which lowers blood pressure.
  
• Dark chocolate contains iron, copper, magnesium, zinc, and phosphorus.

TOTAL TIME: 10 minutes

SERVINGS: 12

INGREDIENTS

• 6 oz . dark chocolate
• 1/3 cup mashed avocado (about 1 small avocado)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder , for rolling (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Combine the chocolate, vanilla extract and pinch of salt over a double boiler, and melt until completely smooth. (I just use an oven safe bowl over my small saucepan for this.) Mash the avocado with a fork until no lumps are visible, then stir it into the melted chocolate mixture until smooth and thickened. Place in the fridge to set for 20 minutes, or until slightly firm to the touch.

• Once the mixture has been chilled and is slightly firm, use a tablespoon to scoop the chocolate into 12 balls. Place them on a pan lined with parchment paper, and roll the balls between the palms of your hand to create an smooth surface. (Be warned: this can get messy!)

• Place the 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder in small bowl, and roll each truffle into the cocoa to coat. Serve at room temperature, but store in the fridge for a lasting shelf life.

Email: noce@smolaconsulting.com
Website: www.smolaconsulting.com
Location: 1 South Washington Street, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: 5857774080