It’s time to think seriously about your New Year’s resolution. Maybe this year it’s the goal of losing weight, starting a new career, getting a promotion, launching a new business venture, working on a relationship, or running that marathon you always wanted to run. 

Here’s a thought: let’s take this year’s resolution to the top and make it really stick.  All you need is to actually do it, right?  All too often we come out of New Year’s Day with amazing ideas of change, but what happens a few weeks into your journey? Did you make it happen? Or did you falter once again?

This time it’s going to be different, and here’s why. I’m going to share with you a solution, a system for you to maintain control, make lasting change, and begin a sustainable recipe for personal growth, and change. It’s called “The Victory Cycle.”

This idea is based on a continuous cycle of personal leadership and development. Here’s the truth: none of our New Year’s resolutions, or any goal for that matter, will work without consistent daily actions.  The Victory Cycle is based on small, daily powerful actions towards your “Personal Vision”; as you build your vision, your “Victory” will start to take form. Change your focus, improve your state of mind, and take progressive action today by stepping into The Victory Cycle!

Victory is an acronym for the 7 steps to achieve your goal:

• V- Vision
• I- Inspiration
• C- Commitment
• T- Timed Steps
• O-Obstacles
• R-Rejoice
• Y-Yearlong Adjustments

1. Vision

Your personal vision is the starting point in the process. It’s a clear, compelling purpose of what you want, or who you want to become. You must see it so clear that you can touch it, smell it, and really feel it in your heart and soul as if it were real.

Leave no detail out of the picture as you create your vision; really see it as if it were right in front of you. All successful people knew who they truly were inside even in what appeared to be defeat. They rose up based on the internal belief and purpose they had within them. Find your purpose, your vision.

“Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.” – Jonathan Swift

2. Inspiration

Your why you are doing this.  All too often we forget why we’re doing what we’re doing. We get stuck in the wrong details, like numbers on a scale or how big our bank account is. Our inspiration centers more on how we feel, specifically, how we would feel if we were living our vision.

So many times our train for success is derailed from the very beginning due to lack of an understanding of why we are doing it and what we really want.

3. Commitment

This centers around how badly you really want it.  Without rock-solid determination, you will fail, and lose momentum. Because when it gets difficult, and it will, you need to have a warrior’s level of commitment, a complete “life or death” determination that you will succeed no matter what. This is your “how,” this is you making it happen, no one else, just you.

4. Timed steps

This in essence is your plan, small scheduled-out steps towards your vision, your ultimate victory. It starts today, by the way, not tomorrow. Think of what you can do right now! Then, something by the end of the week, next month, and so on.

Write it out so you can hold yourself accountable for the progress, otherwise you lose traction. Naturally you are going to adjust these benchmarks, but you likely already have an idea.

5. Obstacles

These are things that pop up, trip you up, and slow you down. Anticipate them beforehand; be ready for them. Don’t worry if you do get knocked down—it’s ok. Dust yourself off and build strength from it. You just learned what not to do.

This is where the fire is, the forging of who you are, and will become. Adversity builds character. Capitalize on what’s gone right and build upon it. Never ever give up on you; if you don’t believe in who you are, who else will?

6. Rejoice

Once you start moving forward in your progress, rejoice. Life is about living and enjoying your life right. Celebrate and rejoice in your accomplishments along the way. Just don’t stay there too long, get back to work. Remember: if you stop, it all stops moving forward. Make sure you get back on course.

7. Yearlong adjustments

Yearlong adjustments is just that—a way for you to see what’s going right and what’s going wrong and adjust it. Remember, your victory is a lifelong journey, something that you will continuously work on.

So, this is only going to make you stronger and sharpen the sword for success, your vision, and your ultimate victory. Small steps equal giant leaps over time; remember: it all comes back to your vision. Make sure it all adds up and is on track, and start over again.

“Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.” – Jack Welch

Own who you are today and who you want to become; no matter what it is, you can do it.  It is you who needs to believe in YOU first—before you can go out into the world to accept your own victory.  The Victory Cycle is meant to be applied daily; you get up in the morning and say, “How can I take a step towards my Victory?”  And when you lay down at night, ask yourself, “Did I honor my Victory?”

Here’s the reality: you’re accountable for you—no one else is. It’s time to take that New Year’s resolution once and for all and turn it into a personal revolution within your heart and soul. Use The Victory Cycle to ignite your future, stand up and make it happen starting today.

When are you going to start to use The Victory Cycle to Ignite your future? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below!