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Goal Setting – Stop Setting Goals and Start Achieving Them

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We’re in the last week of the year and “Goal Setting” / “New Year’s Resolutions” is the topic of the week.

New Year’s Day is fast approaching, and many people will end the day by setting new goals for the year.

Do you typically set goals on New Year’s Day?

Whether you call them “Goals” or “New Year’s Resolutions”, we’ve all been there – done that. We look back over the previous year and tell ourselves “this year is going to be different.”

We make a list that is typically made with loads of ambition and, in a spirit of positivity, we’re going to do things different this year.

Then January 31st arrives, and our goals are nowhere to be seen; “anyone seen my goal sheet?”

Goals – who can live up to their expectations?

You can, all it takes is a shift in your mindset and a different approach to goal setting.

Let’s do something different this year. Instead of making a list of wishful thinking this year, start your new year off on a strong foot by doing your “goal setting” a little different.

The average person gives up on their New Year’s goals by January 17th, some don’t even try to make goals for the new year. Goal setting can be overwhelming and, quite honestly, it feels like a punishment. This is a huge reason why it doesn’t pan out for most people.

In the past, I never set goals. Setting goals seemed to be beyond my ability to do. Way back in the day I even bought one of “Goal Setting for Dummies” book and still didn’t follow through. I just couldn’t figure out what I wanted to accomplish over the next 12 months. I was doing good to figure out what to accomplish in the next 24 hours; I’m a “live by the moment” kind of person.

Why? Because I had the wrong view of goal setting and saw no point in trying to write down a goal that I had no intention of following through on.  

Finally, in 2014, I took a course on goal setting that changed my goal setting life. I took the course, set some goals in different areas of my life, and am proud to say – I achieved them! “Blown away” is an understatement.

I’m not here to teach you a course today, but I do want to share some ideas for goal setting as we approach the New Year.

As you end the year, look at your goals with a new mindset….

Make an “I would love to” list

This feels less stressful and restricting than a “to DO list”, and it is more enjoyable. With each bullet point, you write on your “I would love to accomplish” list, you’ll list actionable goals that you would love to accomplish this coming year.

Let your thoughts free flow on this and enjoy thinking about each area of your life. What would you love to do for yourself, for your family, for your spiritual journey, your talents, your finances, your home – you get the picture.

Now, break those items down into actionable steps.

For example: if you need to lose 40 pounds, that could feel a million miles away. Break it down into 5-pound increments, until you reach your 40. Then celebrate each increment. This will keep you going and hopeful.

I break my goals down into 12-week increments – what do I want to accomplish over the next 12 weeks. Then I break them down into weekly and then daily goals. I get to celebrate daily the goals accomplished for the day. This is a lot more fun for me – realizing that goals are being accomplished each day.

Remember to reward yourself along the way. Don’t be so hard on yourself, as I’m sure you tend to do, we all do the same. We’re our own worst critic, so be mindful of that and be kind to yourself in the new year. You deserve it, and you’ll be much more likely to keep moving forward.

Take an afternoon this week, grab a nice cup of warm tea and your journal and let your thoughts take aim at the new year. Then, choose one goal in each of the areas you chose to work on; keep yourself to three or four goals for the new year. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself with a list that is a mile long, you’ll be less likely to even get started.

Goal number 1 for the New Year – make your “I would love to” list; let me know when you have your list completed so we can celebrate “You”. 

 

I’ve put together a guide to help you get started with your goal setting. 

Click on the link and request your free copy of…

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