It’s no big secret around here that I love setting goals, I think almost as much as I love checking them off my list.
I’ll be sharing my new list of goals for 2023 this Sunday, but first, I wanted to take a moment to tell you exactly how I go about setting my goals each year.
The way I go about the whole process is pretty simple, and while I’ve shared this advice on the blog many times before, I think repeating it every year around this time is worthwhile.
The main thing about goals is to KEEP THEM SIMPLE. Be realistic and FOLLOW THROUGH.
In my opinion, if you can do that, you’ll be setting yourself up for success right from the start.
First off, I am not a huge fan of calling my new year goals “resolutions.” I like having goals that I am working towards, rather than resolving to change absolutely. If my goals aren’t working, I can tweak them.
Resolutions feel like they are set in stone and changing them feels like failure somehow. That being said, I included it in the title because I am fully aware most people don’t spend precious minutes in their day thinking about these sorts of tiny distinctions.
Most people are not neurotic, like me. I accept that.
Now that we got that out of the way, let’s move on to keeping on track–whether you call them goals or resolutions.
Don’t go nuts.
I am certainly not the best example of this one, but hear me out anyway: Keep your list short. Believe it or not, compared to what I want to accomplish each year, I DO keep my list pretty short.
I don’t go crazy trying to change every little thing that pops into my noggin. I want to. But, I don’t.
Keeping the list short and realistic, particularly if your goal is to change a habit…say eat healthy or workout regularly, is a really good way to concentrate on those one or two things.
It keeps you accountable for committing to just that. You can always add new goals once you’ve conquered old ones. I mean, life is fluid–you don’t need a new year to make new goals.
Don’t let bumps derail you.
There will be unexpected turns in your race to the goal finish line. Don’t let a bad couple of weeks completely derail you from the ultimate goal. Get back on that pony and ride. Maybe you’ll have to start over quarterly, like an accountant. No biggie. Just make sure you do.
Pick a buddy.
Make yourself accountable by announcing your goals to a buddy. They can be accountable to you for theirs. Meet for coffee, lunch, a stroll through the neighborhood once a month or so and check in.
When you have to report your progress, you are more likely to get a move on.
That’s why I announce my personal goals to all of you. Each week, I have to admit whether or not I have slacked off, or if I’ve nailed it. I have found that even when I have done nothing to move toward the goal that week, admitting it to all of you at least makes me think about my plan of attack.
Break it down.
If the goal is a monumental game-changer, you may want to break it down into smaller goals. I am going to use the most cliché one: regular exercise. If that’s your goal, rather than saying, “I have to hit the gym 5 days a week no matter what,” break it down into smaller attainable weekly goals.
Each week, set your goal based on your schedule, etc. Maybe week one is to walk 3 miles, 3 days that week. The next week is to go to the gym 2 times. See where I am headed here?
It’s easy to hit your goal when you know you only have to do it for a week. Then, all you have to do is trick yourself into living a week at a time {I know that sounds funny, but thinking that way has been VERY helpful to me over the years.}.
Mental fortitude, my friends.
There will always be excuses for EVERY possible thing, if you let them creep in. Life is messy, and if you can’t prioritize, it will for you. Sure, there are extenuating circumstances. Life happens. If you truly make up your mind to change, though, you will continue right along your goals once life settles down again.
It’s about flexing your willpower muscles, and for the record, that can really suck.
Write your goals down and post them where you’ll see them everyday.
Jot those goals down on a piece of paper. Laminate that sucker, if you are into that sort of thing. Then, put it on the fridge, tape it to the mirror, have it turned into a billboard– whatever it takes, just make sure you see it everyday.
It needs to be a constant reminder that YOU are in control of your own habits and goals. Cheesy? Yes. Fact? Also yes.
Do you do the New Year, New Goals thing? If so, how do YOU plan to stick to them in 2023? Curious minds want to know.
~Mavis
Bec says
Mavis, this is really helpful! Thank you. I’m always amazed by what you accomplish in a year.
I’m working on my list for next year and trying to be realistic of what I can accomplish with two young children. I’m still nursing and up a few times a night and often have my phone nearby so I started an Instagram account to post updates in hopes of keeping myself accountable. I think my first and main goal for next year is to declutter our home so that we can hopefully spend less time feeling overwhelmed and cleaning around stuff.
Looking forward to seeing what you can accomplish next year!
Eileen says
“Life is messy and if you can’t prioritize, it will for you.” That statement needs its very own carved-in-stone national monument! Thanks, Mavis, for sharing another year of ideas, adventures, recipes, and laughs with us. Working on my list of goals for 2023 and excited to see yours next Sunday. Happy New Year to you & your family!
Diane says
My version of “Life is messy…” is “Life shows up as soon as you make a plan!” This phrase taught me to be more flexible and not get tied into knots trying to push a square peg into a round hole. The journey is rarely a straight line. It’s about always attempting to take a step that ideally moves you to the goal. That’s the journey. It amazes me how well I’ve done on goals once I took on this attitude.
I absolutely love the photos in today’s blog! I may stare at them alot today since it is very grey, dim and dreary where I am.
Hope you are all having a wonderful, joyout Holiday season.
KC says
The book Atomic Habits has some useful habit-changing tips, for anyone who has had difficulty with Goals but who wants to shift their life towards or away from something. Habit-chaining in particular – slotting a new habit in with an old habit as a “trigger” – has worked well for me (since before I read Atomic Habits, actually, but I’d never formulated it as a specific technique, just as a good way to remember to do things at a time that’s not interrupting anything). I’ve read part of Tiny Habits and it seems that has some similar strategies with some bonus motivations, and odds are decent that the average public library has either one or the other book.
(And yes, making it concrete – rather than “eat healthier” or “exercise more” is one of the tricks! But both books suggest starting small; I suspect that most people do better in the long term by starting small, and some people do better starting Big for the maximum feeling of success? Or it might depend on domain per person. Not sure.)
Anyway. Chronic illness – which flares with stress – messes with goals and timetables over here, but there is still possibility for change. (if but by the grace of God, but also using the tools we have, sometimes)
Tammy says
Great tips! I feel like I pushed pause this year in a lot of ways. I do have some health issues that prevent certain things, but not everything! I am planning on sitting down sometime this week and making some attainable goals. Your goal posts are my favorite of all the blog posts you do, and I always make sure to come and visit every Sunday.
debbie in alaska says
I do something called Mondo Beyondo. I essentially write down the things I am grateful for in the year that has just ended. I then create a list of the big awesome wonderful things I want to happen in the new year — I don’t stress about the hows but I do very much focus on the whys and whats. And then I put it away and forget about it. I am not a goal setting person — that 100% does not work for me. I do better when I focus on how I want to feel and make each decisions based on that. I suppose it’s a bit like people who choose a word for the year to motivate them.
Linda DeGroot says
I don’t make resolutions, either. I define the goal to change my life and then formulate the little things. Improve my health is the goal. Making the appointments and having the surgeries are the details. Yes, multiple surgeries.
If a person makes a resolution, then the deed is done. Nothing else has to occur. Goals require action.