Hello, beautiful people from across the lands! Have you set goals year after year and seem to fall short most of the time? No worries, we’ve all been there. Sometimes it is due to motivation and other times it’s from not having a successful strategy in place. Getting ahead now on your goals will give you the boost needed to enter into the new year strong. In this post, you will find 4 simple strategies on how to successfully start goal planning for 2023. Let’s dive in!
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1. Stop Making Annual Goals
Yep, you read that right! Have you ever waited until the very last minute to do something just right before it was due? Yeah, me too. I am currently reading the 12 Week Year which talks about moving away from annual planning.
The more time you give yourself to reach a goal the longer it will take or worse the less likely you will complete it. Creating urgency around each goal helps make it a priority and get it done.
I highly recommend reading the 12 Week Year to fully understand this concept. There are also cool templates to help you reframe your goals in this way.
2. Write it Down
Writing your goals down helps set the foundation of what you have in mind to accomplish. I recommend writing S.M.A.R.T. goals to ensure you are clear on what you aim to achieve.
One of my favorite scriptures Habakkuk 2:2 states “Write the vision and make it plain”. It’s important to get out what you have in your head on paper and into the atmosphere.
Studies show you are 42% MORE LIKELY to accomplish a goal once it is written down.
3. Create Actionable System
To beef up your chances to reach your goals, you need to have an actionable system put in place. I highly recommend reading Atomic Habits as it goes into depth on how to successfully do this.
Ideally, you want to put a plan in place that leads you to take action on the things you’ve written down. For example, let’s say your goal is to save $3,000.
Your actionable system may be setting up automatic withdrawals of $125 every two weeks to a separate high-yield savings account.
Not only do you have your goal written down but you identified the action you need to take to get there. Identifying what action you need to take place along with the goal is a complete game-changer!
4. Make it Realistic
When setting a goal you want to understand what you want to achieve and why. Breaking the big goal into smaller actionable steps that allow you to track your progress. Aiming too high can cause you to quickly burn out and eventually give up.
My rule of thumb is to aim 1-2 steps ahead from where you are starting. Thoroughly review your current starting point and make sure you’re not stretching too far or aiming too low. Think Goldey Locs, just right.
Other Things to Consider
Reflect On Previous Goals
Take a look at the goals you have set in the past. Asked yourself what worked and why. Also, ask what did not work. Were your goals written down with an actionable system and accountability? Doing this will help you identify your strengths and areas of improvement in goal achievement.
Give Grace
Life will happen and there will be days you will miss the mark. It’s called being human. Do not beat yourself up and give too much energy to one bad day. Keep moving forward and recognize you are not where you started and that is a good thing.
Celebrate Along the Way
We naturally avoid anything painful and rigorous. It is important to celebrate the small wins to stay motivated and acknowledge your progress. Breaking down your goal into smaller goals will help with this. For example with the money savings goal of $3,000. Breaking it down into benchmarks like reaching $500, $1,000 etc. in your savings. Take time to celebrate the small wins to help keep your eyes on the prize.
Actions Steps to Take NOW
1st Step: Write it down. Get creative and descriptive with how these goals will be visible. Be sure to place it somewhere you can see it every day.
2nd Step: Writing the goal is the easiest part but creating an action plan with a laid out plan on how to get closer to the goal is key. Make sure you identify what you need to do to make this goal happen
3rd Step: We are human and our brain tends to steer us away from what is unfamiliar and uncomfortable. Do not keep your goals to yourself, whether it be an app that tracks your efforts and reminds you when you’re off-task or someone you trust. Just find a way to be held accountable to do what you set out to accomplish.
BONUS TIP: Read Atomic Habits and the 12-Week Year to help gain a greater strategy in goal completion. Read here for more of my favorite productivity books that are great for goal planning.
Conclusion
2022 is wrapping it up but there is still time to set the foundation for 2023. When setting your goals for 2023 you want to keep in mind that what is not written down is not real. Mediate on Habakkuk 2:2 as a reminder of the power of making the vision visible before it appears. Writing it down is a strong start but it is just the beginning. Identifying what specifically needs to be done to get closer to that goal is a game changer.
What small steps do you need to do daily, weekly, and monthly to get closer to the end result? Doing this step is like having a GPS guiding you to your desired destination. It is critical! Last but not least find accountability. I know some say work in silence but sometimes that silence will kill your dream. Find a network, app, friend, mentor somebody/something to help keep you on track.
At the end of the day, we are human and I like to think we are naturally lazy. Putting these simple but powerful steps in place will help your goals turn from dreams into reality.
Until next time dream, believe and achieve.
