What can a 16-year-old teach us about New Years’ Resolutions? Quite a lot actually

As it happens, he was beaten by the wonderfully skilful and cool Luke Humphries. But still, this has happened at the start of a new year, when just getting out of bed and finding the motivation to go to work, can be a struggle. Just being honest.

Perhaps Luke Littler has done just what some of us needed: fired us up to think about what’s possible in our own lives?

Which brings me to the subject of New Years’ Resolutions. It’s my pet hate. I’m often asked to give advice and tips on how to set them, how to stick to them and how to achieve them. And one of the best pieces of advice I can give you is: Don’t set them on a whim.

Look, I’m not against planning and setting goals, quite the opposite, I believe in dreaming big – as long as you are serious about it, and I don’t think New Years’ Resolutions are taken seriously by most people. Because it’s all about the hype, isn’t it?

However, ask me about what you need to do to hit a target, or goal that you are committed to and utterly serious about achieving and I’m with you all the way. So, back to Luke Littler. What did he do that we can all learn from, especially when it comes to wanting to achieve something big in life?

Some of the answer to that lies in the tips, that we can all use, below:

Find your passion

Finding your passion sounds simple enough, but it’s far from easy. Some people just know what they love doing, or they know what they’re good at, or at least have the potential to be good at. But not everyone does.

If that’s you, spend some time thinking about what it is that you do, or could do, exceptionally well. It might be something that’s a hobby of yours, or a strength, or something that other people comment on, or ask your advice on. Get crystal clear on what your thing is and what you want to achieve.

Become unbeatable at it

Luke may only be 16, but he threw his first (toy) darts when he was 18 months old, scored his first 180 at 6 years old and hasn’t stopped practising and perfecting since. He is no overnight sensation. No one is.

Being the best, hitting big targets or standing out at what you do often takes years (or if you want to be classed as an expert, at least 10,000 hours, allegedly) of consistent practise. This is not for the fainthearted my friends, you need to make the time to perfect what you’re good at, and that ‘learning’ will never stop. If you want to be really good, expect ‘training’ and learning to become a way of life.

Mind management

The biggest opponent, and critic you’ll ever face is likely to be yourself. We all have self-doubt and moments when we lose our confidence, and our inner voice will either spur us on through those moments and lift us up or drag us down and make us feel useless. Mastering those thoughts in your head is pivotal to your success, they’ll make or break you.

Becoming mentally strong means building up your self-confidence with positive self- talk – this is common amongst the most successful people, and athletes in the world. Mental strength is often the decider between winning or losing. Be your own no.1 fan, tell yourself you can do it, remind yourself of how far you’ve come and how good you are.

Build your support network

No one becomes a success on their own, there are always people in the background or people by their side every step of the way. For you, it might be family or a few close friends. You’ll need some external support and people you can trust to be honest with you and give you objective views, or people who know the business/area that you want to excel in.

Think about who those people are for you and tell them about your plan and what you’re aiming for. The right people will always help and be there for you.

Staying resilient

Even the best at what they do have bad days, but giving up is rarely an option for them. When we see success, we don’t see the hardship behind it and the journey it’s taken to get there, but it’s important to remember that it is a journey – and if you’re determined to achieve your goal, it will be tough.

That said, resilience is often built during those tough times and when you get through them your confidence will grow. That confidence will help you to keep going. Be careful who you listen to, there will be those who question your chances, knock your plans and no doubt you’ll have (valid) reasons along the way to give in.

Don’t do that, because no one knows what’s around the corner and your big moment of achievement can come at any time. Cut yourself some slack, have some fun, and then get back on your path. So, achieving those New Years’ Resolutions- or life goals- isn’t about age, it’s about determination and a commitment to starting now and doing whatever it takes.

And that’s why you have to love it, just like Luke Littler does. Inspiration can come from anywhere, including a 16-year-old.