There are so many mixed views about setting goals at the beginning of each year , I get it – it’s not for everyone. It works for some people, other people are totally against it. If it’s your thing go for it, if it’s not that’s absolutely ok too! You do you.
I personally like to set fresh goals.
It’s not that I think I wasn’t good enough before and now I’m going to be better, especially if I achieve X Y Z. It’s none of that. For me, It’s simply that I like to pick a few things to work towards, if that means altering some of my previous behaviours, that maybe weren’t serving me, then I’m ok with that.
For many years I would create very aesthetically pleasing vision boards and well do nothing else…
It took awhile but eventually the ‘Without Action, Nothing Changes’ penny dropped. I’ve worked a lot on my own personal development over the past few years and I’ve learned what works for me. I need action plans, check ins and accountability. If that’s what works for you, then feel free to use the ‘Without Action, Nothing Changes’ framework I’ve been fine tuning over the years.
It goes a little like this..
What Do You Want?
Start with a pen and paper, to write you have to think – so back to basics! Write down all the things you would like to achieve. I also like to look back at the previous year and pick 5 of my favourite times/moments – write these down, see if there’s a theme amongst them. For example, 4 out of 5 of my favourite bits of last year were with the same few people, so this year I will ensure I spend more time with those people.
How Will You Get What You Want?
Fine tune what you want, by this I mean get specific. I normally write out about 5 or 6 key statements. I then give each statement a page. Next I write out an action plan for each thing I want to achieve, I like to get very specific – for example, what do I need to do step by step? What small thing can I do each day/each week that will move me closer to where I want to go? For example, I have a goal focused around finances this year so one thing that I have committed to doing each day is checking my online banking every single day. I happily (albeit a little nervously) could go a week or two without checking my banking – all the while tap tap tapping my card on endless and unnecessary purchases – no more!
Another part of my financial action plan is to use my Leanun Designs meal planner to ensure I have all my ingredients for planned meals. Otherwise, I would go to the supermarket every day to pick up one thing, end up picking up seven things – never taking a basket – struggling to make it to the checkout with dropping everything!
Anyway, I do have other plans for 2020, a few exciting career plans along with some personal bits I will be focusing on. They all have their own page filled with the steps I need to take in order to achieve them.
Checking In
Now this is the part that helped me so much last year. I make it very structured – I check in with my action plans each month. Look at what’s working, what I’m doing, what I’m not doing. If I’m not doing something, reflect on that – maybe it’s not as important as I originally thought so maybe it can go.
Personally, the checking in part was very helpful for me. Just making the plans wasn’t enough, I needed the accountability of monthly check ins – by the way, I definitely missed some monthly check ins and I’m likely to miss future ones. That’s ok too!
This is what works for me, it may be your thing, it may not be – either way try do what works for you, not what you feel you ‘should’ be doing because other people are!