With the hype of New Year’s Resolutions in full swing today, let’s chat about setting goals and how to devise a plan of attack so you can crush each and every one of them. Rather than just throwing a generic resolution against the wall and hoping it sticks, we’re going to hone in and get super specific by outlining action steps and mini goals you can hit during the year. This will help you stay on target and will give you mini wins to keep you motivated all year long.
This post is part of the Resolve To Get Organized series where we’re starting the year off with a bang by getting organized. The great thing about setting goals is that you can set them any time during the year, so if you’re not reading this right away in January, that’s okay! These tips will work no matter what time of year you want to get started designing a road map to crush your goals. Alright, here we go!
Setting Goals For Every Area Of Your Life
Our first step is to actually decide what our goals are for the year. Like I already mentioned, these goals should be specific. None of those “I want to get healthy this year” resolutions. You need something much more specific that you can actually tackle. Your goals should be measurable and time specific.
So, in our health example, we might set a goal like this: I will eat one serving of green vegetables with every lunch and dinner in 2016. You could also decide on a goal related to exercise that’s more specific than just saying you’ll exercise regularly. Here’s an idea: I will spend 30 minutes exercising four days per week.
I like to focus on setting goals for various areas of my life. I’d recommend you do the same. How do you want to improve your life in each area? What type of goal will help you make that happen? If you’re not sure where to start, here are some ideas of categories that may apply to you:
- Family
- Relationships
- Health
- Education
- Work
- Personal Development
- Hobbies
- Faith
- Finances
- Home
Choose the categories that you want to focus on this year and set goals for each.
Download The Free Worksheet & Start Setting Those Goals
When I’m setting goals, I prefer pen and paper. I love to curl up on the couch when the house is quiet and I’m free from distractions. I designed this pretty worksheet to help you get your plan on paper. Planning is always better with pretty worksheets and colorful pens, wouldn’t you agree? Click the photo below to download the PDF.
Print one copy for each category of life that you want to focus on, and write out your goals in each category. Then use the space underneath to jot down smaller action steps that will help you accomplish each goal.
I left room to make three goals for each life category, but you certainly don’t need to have that many. I do try to limit my goals to 2-3 per category to keep them manageable. I’m usually the runaway goal setter that wants to print multiple pages per category, but there’s just no way I’ll ever remember that many different goals let alone have time to tackle all of them. So I try to focus on a few.
Set aside some quiet time this week to reflect on your life and think about how you want to grow in each area. Focus on setting goals that are yours, not someone else’s. Achieving a goal just because it seems like the thing you should be doing won’t bring you happiness. Think carefully about what you want in your life and define your own success. What can you aim for that will light you up?
Once your worksheets are complete, find a safe place to keep them where you can refer to them regularly. You could add them to a binder or to your planner, or you could hang them up somewhere where you’ll see them often. The inside of a closet door or the back of your bedroom door is a great spot where you’ll see them every day.
I also recommend sharing your goals with your spouse, a family member, or a close friend. That way they can help hold you accountable, and there’s just something about saying them out loud that makes you feel more committed.
Once you’re finished setting goals for the year, you’ll probably want to dive into all of them right away. But be careful not to overwhelm yourself! You don’t have to accomplish them all instantly. Take your time to tackle those small action steps one at a time throughout this year. When you make your to-do lists, take a look back at your goal sheets and and choose a couple small tasks that you can do to get you closer to your ultimate goal.
When you get to the end of the year and look back at all of your goals, you’ll be amazed at how chipping away at them bit by bit resulted in you crushing your big goals without feeling overwhelmed and stressed trying to do too much all at once.
What are some goals you’re working on right now? Leave me a comment – I’d love to hear them!
Other Posts In This Series
Introduction: Resolve To Get Organized
Part 1: Setting Goals & Designing a Road Map to Crush Them – you’re here!
Part 2: Dominate Your To-Do List With This Time-Saving System
Part 3: How I Organize My Week for Maximum Productivity & Focus
Part 4: 7 Steps to Ruthlessly Organize Your Email
Part 5: How to Organize Your Mail to Eliminate Paper Clutter
Part 6: 13 Practical Habits That Will Keep Your Home Organized
Part 7: Organize Like a Pro With Free Printable Storage Labels
Part 8: How to Organize Any Space in 7 Steps
Conclusion: 6 Warning Signs Your Organizing Attempts Will Backfire