It’s that time of year again… Time to make our resolutions for the New Year ahead. If you’re anything like me, you set yourself up for failure before the ball even drops. I make plans for the coming year that are overwhelming and basically impossible. Then, before I know it, another year has passed and my goals are the same ones I’ve had for the past 5 years in a row.
How do you stop this vicious cycle? Well, it may be easier than you think.
I took this past week between Christmas and New Years to sit down and reflect on 2016… On what I did right or wrong, and what I lessons I learned. I then built a plan for the upcoming year ahead. This week I carved out some time with Matt to discuss our goals and dreams for 2017, and devised a rough life plan. This week got me thinking about the practical ways you can ensure that you’re setting yourself up for a successful year… Which lead me to writing this post, in order to share the wealth with my Gorgeous fam.
How to Set Attainable Goals for 2017
- Don’t set yourself up for failure. Failure in goal setting can happen several ways. You can take on too much or you can even go into it with the wrong mindset, causing you to fail before you even begin.
- Be realistic. Instead of 25 goals that are humanly impossible to achieve, narrow your list down to the most important goals for this year. Don’t bit off more than you can chew… You’re only one person.
- Set specific goals. Drop the blanket resolutions such as, “lose weight.” Instead, set a specific, yet realistic goal such as: lose 4 pounds per month/1 pound per week.
- Find an accountability partner. My best friend, Megan, and I call each other, “Accountability partners.” We do this to check in with each other and hold each other accountable whenever we need some truth (spoken in love) injected into our lives or even particular situations. Find a friend who has a goal(s) for this coming year and schedule a lunch date to discuss how to best hold each other accountable. When you’re not just letting down yourself, but someone else, by not achieving your goals, you tend to stay more motivated.
- Journal. There is such freedom in journaling. When I write down my thoughts and feelings, I personally experience an emotional release. When I re-read my words, I often find myself thinking about my situation differently. Journaling is especially important in goal setting because it helps you to check in and track your progress throughout your journey.
- Don’t forget to include spiritual goals. Including God in my every day life is crucial. The days I lack to connect with Him feel much different than the days I purposefully make time to get into His Word. If you’re a Christian, setting Bible reading or devotional goals are a great way to ensure that you’re staying plugged in to God’s Word on a daily basis.
- Reward yourself. Hit a landmark towards one of your goals? Celebrate! Allow yourself to indulge once in a while in order to reward yourself for the work you’re putting in.
- Buy a planner. I live my life out of a planner. My favorite is the Create 365 The Happy Planner. I use the three columns daily to separate my business and personal plans for each individual day. I love utilizing planner stickers to brighten up my week and make organizing my time more fun.
- Create a life plan. I’m an avid podcast listener. The one thing I hear almost every business speaker talk about is life plans. I think it’s important to set aside time to create a plan for what you want to achieve in your life.
What are your resolutions and goals for 2017? Leave a comment below with what you want to achieve. Perhaps writing them down for others to see will help you stay focused in this coming year!
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Love this post! Excited for the new year & everything 2017 will bring!