Happy 2017! I can’t believe how fast 2016 flew by. I’ll be honest though, I’m SO excited for the New Year! Big things are gonna happen! I hope you’re just as excited and motivated as I am, and I’m sure you have a few goals in mind.
Some people may think New Year goals/resolutions are silly, but there’s something about a fresh start that’s intriguing. It’s important to make goals for yourself that are attainable, so before you get goal crazy check out my tips.
1. Set some free time to plan
Give yourself maybe 30 minutes to an hour to create your goals and everything that goes with it. If you really want to achieve your goals, you have to plan and prepare. Grab a cup of coffee, some pen and paper, and sit in your favorite focus zone!
2. Start broad and prioritize
So maybe you’re not sure what exactly you want your goals to be this year, start by listing all of the main aspects of your life. For example: family, home, health/fitness, diet, work, blog, etc. Any area of your life that is important to you AND that you wish to improve in.
Now, break these down even further
-Family = husband/wife, children, parents, pets
-Home = cleaning, decor/renovation
-Health/Fitness = mental, gym, gain muscle, lose weight, running
-Diet = vegetables, vegan, less sweets
-Work = money, work environment/attitude, hours
-Blog = subscribers, social media, money, courses, posts
Now for each area, I want you to decide what is most important to you…prioritize them from most important to least important. Also write down what you would like to improve in that area. You don’t have to be too specific YET.
I’m going to break down the health/fitness area as an example:
Health/Fitness
-Mental: be more positive, read more books, meditate daily
-Gym: get a membership, go to the gym more
-Gain muscle: lift heavier weights, see definition in legs/arms/abs
-Lose weight: lose 30 pounds
-Running: run more, run faster
3. Put numbers on em!
Now that we’ve figured out the most important areas of your life or at least areas you want to improve it, let’s make them measurable. Setting goals like “lose weight” or “go to the gym more” just won’t cut it. Okay maybe you lose 1 pound or go to the gym 2 more times than last year, did that benefit you at all? Also remember that you don’t want to aim too high, aim big (almost too big, but make sure it’s doable). A goal of losing 30 pounds in 1 month is probably going to lead to some disappointment. Your goals should be measurable but attainable, this is more motivating and you will more likely stick to them.
Here’s what I mean:
Health/Fitness
-Mental: Write down one positive quote/thing every morning, meditate daily for at least 10 minutes
-Gym: go to the gym 5 times a week
-Gain muscle: squat 250 pounds by the end of the year, gain 10 pounds of lean muscle
-Lose weight: lose 30 pounds in X months
-Running: run at least 1 mile at least 3 times per week, run 1 mile in 7 minutes
Now that you have numbers, you can actually keep track of your progress!
4. Don’t set too many
You probably have 30+ possible areas of improvement. It’s important to strive for greatness, but remember that you don’t want to overwhelm yourself. Feel free to work towards improving in all areas that you just listed, but only set a few actual measurable New Year goals. I’m not going to say how many, that all depends on your habits, lifestyle, and what you know you can do!
5. Action steps to take
Now that you’ve chosen a few major goals for the year, write some action steps for each. In other words, what can you do every day/as necessary to reach these goals and develop new habits?
More examples!!
Goal: Lose 30 pounds in X months
Action steps to take:
-go to the gym 4-5 times per week
-plan meals and meal prep every week
-schedule workouts in advance
Here’s an example goal that is NOT exactly measurable but I like:
Be more positive
Action steps to take:
-Read a (self-improvement) book for 20 minutes a day/20 pages a day
-Meditate every morning for 15 minutes
-Write down 3 things you’re grateful for every night
-Remove negative people from your life
-Spread positivity (compliment others, smile, laugh more, be generous, etc.)
6. Write your goals down and display them
Use some good old pen and paper, write down your goals + the action steps and stick it somewhere that you can see it everyday! Frame it on your night stand, tape it to your bathroom mirror, tack it on a bulletin board near your desk.
7. Remind yourself/Keep track of them
I suggest reading them out loud or writing them down every morning. At least write down goals for the day that will help you reach your main goals!
It’s also important to track your progress every week or month. Evaluate where you’re at, how well you’ve been keeping up, and what you need to improve on.
8. If you mess up, don’t give up
Positive habits are hard to manage, goals can be hard to reach. If they were easy everyone would be where they wanted to be! So if you miss a day or two of meditating or you eat a whole pack of Oreos in one sitting, don’t beat yourself up about it. Start fresh the next day and do better.
Remember, you don’t need a New Year, a Monday, or even a new day to start a habit or strive for a new goal.
I hope these tips help you to set your goals. Have an amazing 2017, crush your goals, and strive to be the best version of you!