Goal Setting For the Year

Hello there, Friends!! Happy New Year!! 2023 is going to be our year, baby! And to kick it off, I am going to share with you how I am going to keep it on track to make sure it’s a great year. 

I am a list maker and a planner to a fault haha. I have literally made a list of “lists I need to make”. And Josh is convinced that I am solely responsible for keeping the planner industry afloat! It is the only way I can keep everything straight. And like I always tell Josh before I go grocery shopping, “if it ain’t on the list, I’m not gonna remember it”. So I write EVERYTHING down. 

Setting Up Goals For the Year

One list I always make at the end of each year, or in the first week of the new year, is a main goals list. Always. I sit down and reflect on the things this past year that maybe didn’t turn out that great and I want to fix them or things that are left unfinished. I write them all down. Then I look forward to the year ahead and write down all of the things I want to accomplish. I prefer to include everything from financial goals, family goals, business growth goals, things I want to try, etc in this main list. This main list ends up being broken down into smaller chunks so it is not so overwhelming to look at all the time. 

When I am writing down all of these goals, I try to make sure I include a lot of varied personal things. I want to push myself in all areas of my life. I set fitness goals, new recipes that I want to try, and places to visit, books to read, etc.  I like to keep the goals balanced so that I am not neglecting any one area of my life. 

After I have the majority of the list completed, I go over it and refine it. By this, I mean really examining them and making sure they are achievable and realistic for my life currently. If they are not, I just mark them off or adjust them as needed. That is now my main goal list for the year that I will be adding to and checking off as the year progresses. 

Breaking the Lists Down

The next step is I break the master list down. This can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. I like to set up main categories and then break them further down into monthly goals. When I have a smaller list of goals in front of me, things always feel way more achievable. 

Once they are in those smaller chunks, I prioritize them. Now when I look at each list to see what is next, I can easily figure out what’s next to tackle. 

For some types of goals, I like to make charts. It makes me way happy to get to fill in a space that shows gradual progress toward my goals. It can also help to keep me honest if I start to see a decline in progress. I keep these simple usually as I am not much of an artist. I do like to hand draw them though; it is way more satisfying! These can be charts, graphs, pictographs, etc. Whatever is going to help motivate you to achieve that goal. 

For long-term goals, like saving a large sum of money, I like to break them down into smaller goals. So if I wanted to save $5,000 by the end of the year, I would set a monthly goal of setting aside $420 every month in savings. Doing this helps keep you on track for those larger goals that can seem overwhelming in the big picture. 

Planning to Achieve

I love to sit with my planner on Sunday evenings and set up for the week ahead. I write out everything I need to remember or know for the week. If I don’t, it doesn’t exist ha! 

During this time, I look at my various goals lists and decide what I can mark off this week. I try to make sure I mark a few off each week, but it depends on how busy we are and what I can fit in. 

I do also try to keep it varied with what I am focusing on regularly. I tend to get bored easily, so if I keep it switched up, it helps to hold my interest. This way ensures that I’m keeping a good balance of things, as well. Keeps me well-rounded. 

I do not focus too much on that master list at this point. However, once a month I update it with new goals and mark off any that have been achieved. I don’t like to look at it too often, especially early on when there is not much marked off. Once more things are marked off, it’s less intimidating to look at. 

That’s it, friends! Now just mark ‘em off and celebrate your progress! I do this every year and it is such a fantastic tool to help keep me on track throughout the year. I hope you find this helpful! Have a great day, friends!!

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