How Plan and Stick to your Goals
New year, new goals. Are you interested in trying out goal planning for the new year but don’t know where to start? I will show you how to plan and stick to your goals this year!
January has rolled around again. A new year and new possibilities. We are always so hopeful and energized on January 1st, but what usually happens within a week? We forget about our plans and goals for the new year. But how can you actually plan and then stick to your goals? Goal planning can be hard, especially when life gets in the way and things outside of your control quickly put a stopper in your plans. What if I told you that you CAN accomplish your goals this year? Yes, it is possible!
No, it won’t be easy. Growing up I was always told that nothing worth having ever comes easy. To this day that saying resonates deeply with me. But by taking the right steps, you too can celebrate your accomplishments at this time next year. It is time to stop just planning, and start doing! But how do you do that you may ask?
How to plan your goals
The most important part of goal planning is breaking down your goal into more reasonable action steps. When we break down our goal into smaller pieces, it doesn’t seem as overwhelming and it gives us the steps we need to follow in order to reach our goal.
1. Brainstorming
Sit down for a brainstorming session where you list everything you can possibly think of that you want to get done.
2. Organize your list into Categories
Make a list of categories that fall into your life. It could be home/ work/ health/ spiritual/ hobbies/ money/ travel. Each and every person will have a different list of things that relate to their individual life. If you don’t like to travel, then you won’t need a travel category. Maybe your goal is to learn to cook better. Food and Cooking could be a category for you.
By doing this, you can get a better idea of what you want to accomplish and what is most important in your life. If one category has more goals, then maybe that is where you should focus your time this year. There isn’t a right or wrong choice, but listening to them this way will help you see what is truly important to you.
3. Pick your top goal…
Look carefully at your list and choose the one that means the most to you. Pick only one. Yes, I said it. Just pick one. This probably the most important step. The one problem we all face is that we are spreading ourselves too thin. You have to be realistic about what you can actually accomplish.
By picking one big goal for the year you will have a better chance of actually accomplishing what you set out to do. It is just not reasonable to have ten different big goals at one time. Now, that doesn’t mean that you cant work on different things throughout the year. It just means that ultimately, each thing you work on should lead you closer to your overall goal.
4. Quarterly Goals
Now that you have chosen your one main goal for the year, it is time to break it down into small goals. Think of it as outlining a chapter in a book. Do you remember having to do that in school? At that time you probably hated it, but here it will help you enormously! Just think of the outline as a road map for you to follow throughout the year all leading to your end result of meeting your goal.
You will be breaking down your goal into smaller goals for each quarter of the year.
Quarter 1. Jan/Feb/Mar
Quarter 2. Apr/May/Jun
Quarter 3. Jul/Aug/Sept
Quarter 4. Oct/Nov/Dec
These smaller goals need to work towards accomplishing your main goal. You want them to work all together, not work against what you are ultimately trying to get done.
5. Monthly Goals
Once you have your quarterly goals, you are going to take it a step further and break down each quarterly goal into even smaller baby steps for each individual month. Where you will be working on one step towards your goal each month.
Using a Monthly Calendar
Using a monthly calendar, I block out time just for working on my monthly goal. I place that goal at the top where it is clear and seen. That way I am always reminded of what I need to get done. When I finish this smaller goal I know I am that much closer to my main goal!
Here is more information on how to find the right planner to fit your needs.
6. Weekly and Daily Planning
From here you can even break it down into smaller weekly and then daily goals. The key is to experiment with it and see what works for you. The beauty of planning is that if one way doesn’t work, you can try something else the next month. Make your plans fit your schedule and needs.
I am one who needs to break my goal down to weekly and then daily steps. Over time I have learned that if I don’t, I tend to flounder. Planning is a learning process that evolves are you do.
Top Tip – Make it VISIBLE
Create a check-off page for each small step leading up to your big goal. When you see that you are getting something done, you are more likely to continue to work towards accomplishing your goal. I also like to place big reminders about my main goal around the house where I see it daily. When it is visible, things get done. It just like that old saying… out of sight – out of mind. KEEP IT VISIBLE.
New Beginnings
This time of year is perfect for goal planning. The start of a fresh year… new beginnings and so many new possibilities. If you are feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry. Take things step by step and know that you don’t have to figure everything out all at once.
Work on it a bit and then take a step back to reflect. When you come back to your goal planning, have an open mind, and continue to follow the steps. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. Don’t jump into anything until you have a clear plan to follow. When you move too quickly. That is when you get burnt out or so overwhelmed that you end up quitting. You can do it!
Share your Journey
After you have had your goal planning session, comment below, or share your goal with our community on Instagram! Tag @sweetandsunnyliving and I would love to see what you have planned for this year! There are great things in store for you!
