It's that time a year again when you start thinking about what you have accomplished the previous year, and what you want to accomplish in the coming year. New Year goal setting is a popular activity; some people call them New Year resolutions. I prefer the term Goals. Setting a New Year resolution often doesn't work, but it's not the name that is the problem, it is the action behind setting goals for the New Year.
When setting goals for the New Year your goal must be possible, detailed and quantifiable. If you know you cannot ever do it (or you really don't want to do it) then you're just not going to do it. Your information about the goal must be very detailed and specific. It should also be written down. Not only should your goals be written down, but the rules of simple goal setting say that what is written should be very specific. It should be like a road map to your goal destination and finally, it must be something you can measure and quantify so that you know if you have succeeded or fallen short.
Setting goals for the New Year should also be something you can edit as you go along. Nothing has to be set in stone. Say you made a goal to lose 20 lbs in one month. Sure it's possible, but should you really do it? As you realize that health and nutrition is more important than how much weight you lose, you can adjust your goal to be more in line with your true goal -- Better Health -- and change the 20 lbs to "Eat five servings of raw vegetables per day." As you learn to make better goals you'll learn that making them positive will work better than making them negative.
One of the first steps to simple goal setting is to know the difference between your vision and your goals. Your vision is the pie in the sky notion of possibilities, but goals are realistic and possible. Goals are the short term inspiration that you can actually achieve your vision, one step at a time. A goal should be something that is doable, but something that also challenges you enough that when you accomplish it, you'll feel invigorated and successful. It's the feeling you get when you know you have accomplished something special. Kind of like when you were in school, it's the difference of feeling when you get an "easy A" and a hard fought B.
Have a Vision -- To start your New Year goal setting, first start with your vision. Your vision can be pie in the sky. What you really want, and feel you deserve if nothing would go wrong. What is your ideal life? This can be a vision about your personal life, health or career. Ideally, it should include all three areas of your life. This vision should encompass a long term ideal, ten or twenty years from now.
Write Down Your Goals -- Now, the most important part of new year goal setting is to write down your goals starting at step one to reach as close to your vision as possible. Sometimes it helps to move backwards from the vision to today. Be more specific as you get closer to today. Using a calendar is very helpful when setting goals for the New Year.
Break it Down -- If your vision is to be a millionaire in 20 years, break down that goal to what has to happen in 15 years, 10 years, 5 years, 1 year, 1 month, and today. A million seems like a really big number, but if you break that down to a yearly and monthly and even a daily amount, it becomes something that is easier to realize (not the mention of adding in the beauty of compound interest!).
Be Specific-- You must also write down what you will do to achieve the goal not just what the goal is. So if your goal is to earn an extra $500 dollars a week working from home, you must write down what you will do each day to make $500 extra a week. Assuming you only work five days a week, this translates into earning an extra $100 dollars a day on the days you are working. If that seems too large, then break it down by hours.
Be Creative -- Always remember that there is more than one way to "skin a cat." To come up with this extra $500 a week, you might find ways to cut back on groceries, gas, start taking a sack lunch to work, or by enjoying entertainment at home instead of out. Then, you can find ways to make up the deficit by earning extra money. You can ask for a raise, or seek more education so that you can earn more at your job and career. If this is not an option, consider starting a home business of some kind.
When it comes to New Year Goal Setting you're only limited by your imagination when it comes to your vision, and the goals you set for yourself. Don't let yourself off easy, imagine a better life for yourself and your family and then follow through by doing the steps that you create for yourself. You can do this! I believe in you.
Think you can't do much in 20 minutes? Schedule a free 20 minute coaching consultation with certified Personal Life Coach Aurelia Williams and start forming your plan of action today!
About Aurelia:
Aurelia Williams, a Baltimore/DC area resident, is a dynamic certified life coach who is accredited by the International Coach Federation. Aurelia specializes in helping women find a healthy balance between work, family and self and also works with women to boost up their self esteem. Always wanting to give her clients the best she can, she is currently enrolled in advanced coaching classes to sharpen her life coaching skills. To read many free and helpful resources or to find out more about Aurelia's services, you can visit her at Real Life Coaching. You can also view her Real Life Guides, toolkits and recordings at Real Life Guidance.
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