Hey Friend! With the new year upon us, it’s a great time to take a step back and reflect on all we’ve accomplished and what we hope to achieve in the future. Whether you’re looking to advance your career, improve your health, or pursue your passions, having a clear vision and plan is key. As millennials, we have so much potential to make a positive impact on the world, even when things feel uncertain. That’s why developing some essential skills and habits is important to help us overcome any obstacles and reach our goals. Here are five skills we can use to set ourselves up for success in 2024:

Whether you want to advance your career, improve your health, or pursue your passions, we all need a clear vision and a plan to make it happen. 

As millennials, we have the potential to create a positive impact on the world, even in the face of challenges and uncertainties. 

That’s why we need to develop some essential skills and habits to help us overcome any obstacle and reach our desired outcomes. 

Here are five things that we can do to have the best results in 2024:

1. Discipline

Discipline is sticking to your commitments and following through with your actions – even when adversity and distractions arise. 

Discipline is the most relevant soft skill for adulting because it forces us to do what we must, even when we don’t feel like it. 

In real life, discipline keeps you going to the gym even when you hate it. It helps you have a complicated conversation, even if it is easier to silently resent the person you are talking to. It is staying up late to complete a project or degree, even when everyone else is sleeping or out and having fun.

In 2023, I noticed my Instagram timeline filled with people advocating for the ‘soft life’.  I agree that women deserve rest, relaxation, pleasure, and a good life, but that should not mean that we do not show up to do the necessary actions in this life.  

Focus, motivation, and consistency are needed, but none will work without discipline. We cannot ignore the fact that discipline is a significant key to achieving any goal. 

Like every other life skill, there are ways to cultivate discipline.  If you struggle – and we all do in different areas of our lives, there are ways to improve.  

For example, you could set realistic and specific goals and break them down into manageable steps to track your progress. It could be as simple as writing a goal in your journal and monitoring it with daily entries or using this goal-setting sheet.

What has worked well for me in the past is using routines and systems that support my goals while reducing distractions or temptations that might derail me.

For example, in the latter part of 2023, I noticed I was coming home and sitting on my phone for 20 – 45 minutes, scrolling or taking forever to make social media posts.  

That habit consumed the time I could prep dinner or go for a walk.  

I realised the problem was coming home and having the phone close to me. So, I changed the place where I charged my phone.  I now charge it in an area that is hard to reach and nowhere near the kitchen. When I get home, I put the phone to charge in its safe place and immediately get started on chores or working out.

The funny thing is, when I return to my phone hours later, there are never that many urgent messages or notifications.  There was no need for me to always have my phone.

I’d admit it is not the easiest thing to do, but discipline helps us to build confidence, resilience, and perhaps most importantly, self-control.

2. Strong Will

Similar to discipline, being strong-willed is the determination to pursue your goals, no matter what. 

It’s choosing to have a positive attitude and a growth mindset even if some days your dreams end up in chaos.  It enables you to see challenges as opportunities and failures as feedback. 

And at this ‘big’ beautiful age of almost 40, we know that accomplishing incredible feats will often encounter obstacles. We also know that a firm will give us the defiance to overcome them and push through to achieve the goals and dreams we have for ourselves.

I’d like to think that my purpose is what keeps me going. Lofty ideas like wanting to be a role model for my daughter, wanting to make my mama proud and being an inspiration to people around me.

The kryptonite to this is the wrong people and environment. 

Negativity impacts our will; surrounding yourself with supportive and inspiring people who will encourage you when you are feeling down and hold you accountable when you are not living up to your potential is a game changer for building your will.

The next time you encounter setbacks, difficulties, or criticism – on the journey to forty -I’m sure you will remember to tap into your strong will.

3. Maturity

I like to think of maturity as the wisdom to make sound decisions and take responsibility for our actions.

Nothing about that definition sounds easy to do, but Sis, don’t you just admire being around people who can make sound decisions, admit when they are wrong and understand that there are consequences for their actions instead of blaming other people?

Some people I know are educated, affluent, influential and still incapable of making sound decisions and hate taking responsibility for their actions.  They often do not recognise how much their actions impact the lives of others around them and their integrity.

Aligning your values and priorities with your goals helps you to become mature.

It is not always easy, though, because it demands we balance our needs and wants and begs us to consider the consequences of our choices.   

As a mature person, you take aligned action instead of procrastinating on the things you must do; you consistently do good work, even when tempted with apathy. 

Also, having a sense of honesty with ourselves and others is essential to show up in our maturity. It’s having those grown women’s difficult conversations, resisting the urge to cuss someone out and resorting to communicating effectively and respectfully… cos, sis, we grown.

Further, maturity requires us to remain open-minded and empathetic to appreciate different perspectives and opinions – in other words, you must be able to get as good as you give.  We must be open to feedback if we want to increase our maturity. 

Age is just a number when it comes to maturity. What really counts is the experiences that shape us, guide us and prepare us for the challenges that lie ahead. With maturity, we gain the confidence to grow, connect, lead and inspire future generations.

4. Decision-Making Skills

Did you know that the KFC menu has been the same for the past two decades? It’s interesting to see that even with information, some people take a helluva long time to decide what to order. Maybe they’re just indecisive or hungry!

Decision-making skills include analysing information, weighing options, and choosing the best action. 

They are essential for achieving your goals, as they help you to solve problems, overcome dilemmas, and seize opportunities. 

Making better decisions can be achieved by collecting relevant and reliable data and taking time to evaluate it critically and objectively. Additionally, I’ve learned to trust my intuition by considering and listening to my gut feeling.

As with any other skill, the more we do it, the better we understand it and can use it for our benefit.

5. Creativity

Creativity is the skill to generate original and valuable ideas and to express them in various forms. It is the spark that ignites your passion and makes your goals more meaningful and enjoyable. 

Although it is traditionally linked to artistic endeavours, creativity can be applied to any field or domain. 

To unleash your creativity, you need to explore your interests and talents. Inspiration is everywhere, so seek opportunities or collaborate with other creative people. 

I’d like to challenge you to use the skill of creativity to show up powerfully in your career and relationships in this new year. You would be surprised at how rewarding that can be.

Conclusion

You can do these five things to have the best results in 2024. By developing these skills and habits, you will be able to achieve your goals and fulfil your potential. You will also be able to make a positive difference in the world and inspire others to do the same.

If you want to learn more about achieving your goals and living your most fascinating life, I recommend you check out my 5 Years to Forty blog, Annisha Jones. I am a positivity coach and a millennial who shares insights and experiences on navigating this decade’s challenges and opportunities. You can find me on the gram here: 5 Years to Forty. Don’t forget to support the platform by liking and subscribing. You won’t regret it!

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and found it helpful. I wish you a happy and successful new year! 🎊