Happy New Year!!

January is one of my favorite months of the year. (Even though it is freezing here in Ohio!) It’s a time to regroup and recharge after a couple of months of holiday events. (I also get to celebrate my anniversary & husband’s birthday) Setting goals is really important to me and writing them down helps me stay focused throughout the year. I’ve set resolutions in the past but I find that I never stick to them. They’re usually too broad and I tend to not write them down or create actionable steps to achieve them.

Tips for Establishing Goals

Write Down Your Goals

You may delay, but time will not, and lost time is never found again. — Benjamin Franklin

Do you have a journal, planner or do you use notes or another app on your phone? Choose a place or device that works for you to write down your goals. For me, this will be in my planner. When I selected a planner for this year, I made sure the one I chose had a place to write down goals and tasks. I also like to physically check off items and I use my planner on a daily basis, so this setup will help keep the tasks at the top of my mind.

Establish Long Term Goals

This is the part of your goal setting process where you’ll want to dream big. Do you have a 5 year plan or a particular goal you’d like to achieve this year?i.e. get a promotion at work, start a blog, get in shape, learn a new skill, have your first sponsored blog post, etc. It will be important to write down your long term goals so you have something to work towards and to easily reference.

How Will You Achieve Your Goals?

Establish Short-Term Goals

Now that you have your long term goal(s) established, how do you plan to achieve them? For me, it helps to start with one goal at a time and add tasks that I believe will help me achieve them. Ask yourself, what are all the steps you need to take to accomplish the goal and what can you start doing today? If you’re looking to advance your career, can you complete additional training or obtain certifications that will show your current/future employer that you’re being proactive or make you more marketable? Is your goal to start a blog in 2018? If so, what steps are you taking to get there? (Here you can read 10 questions to ask yourself before you start a blog.)

Start by brainstorming and writing down your list of ideas and short term goals. Once you have your list complied, identify and establish tasks to work on in the upcoming months. It will be important to reevaluate and adjust tasks at both the beginning and end of the month and adjust as needed.

Creating tasks and setting goals will help you begin working towards your dreams! Do you have any tips or advice on how set goals? Let me know in the comments below.