How to reach your goals (Part 3)
This is Part 3 of my series how to set and reach your goals (and change your life) in the New Year.
In Part 1 we learned to stand forward at the end of the year and speak about your goals as if they are already done.
In Part 2 we learned that you have to have the belief that you are the person who can create those results.
And in this Part 3, we are going to review our goals and make space for them to happen.
Do you have your list?
Take a look at your list and get out your calendar.
Where are you going to put the things that you want to do?
Take a look at your whole year. Start by penciling in your vacation time, long weekends, days kids are off school, holidays etc.
Take a look at your weekly schedule. What do you need to put in place in your weekly schedule to meet your goals? Ask yourself what is feasible to do without feeling overwhelmed.
If your goal is to work out more, start by scheduling 20 minutes three times a week (or something you can commit to) rather than thinking you'll do an hour a day and then feeling bad because you didn't make that happen.
Want to read more books next year? Put 30 minutes a day of reading on your schedule a couple of times a week.
Meal planning on Sundays? Calendar that!
Dating once or twice a week? Pencil it in... plan on it happening!
This exercise is important because we can't keep adding things to our schedule and just assuming they will get done. They won't. In adding something new you should take a good look at what is already on there and see if something else needs to go. Or if you need help to reach your goals. Decide what you can outsource or let go of. (For me, I am hiring help with home organization and decluttering because that is something I just haven't made as much headway on my own as I would like to.)
Decide what your priorities are and make your schedule from there.
And take Warren Buffett's advice which is to focus on your top 3-5 goals and let everything else go. They aren't important.
Pick one or two key areas you want to work on this year. Maybe even just one. Decide if you want to tackle one goal a quarter instead of trying to do them all at once.
Put a full-court press on that one thing. If you complete it, or operationalize it to a level that feels satisfactory, then start working on a second goal. If you have too many things you're trying to do at once, chances are you'll get overwhelmed and not do any of them.
Then, take a look at what you are going to focus on this year. What will you need to believe about yourself (our exercise from Part 2) to reach that goal?
And then, think about choosing a focus word to help you get there.
Last year I started using a Word of the Year, and it was very helpful. Some people try to wait to be inspired but my suggestion would be to find one word that will anchor you to your goal, based on the beliefs you need to believe about yourself.
Last year my word was 'constraint.' I came back to this word often as I was tempted to do different things or sign up for different programs. I used the word 'constraint' to remind me to come back and focus on what I already had in front of me and not be chasing opportunities that were out of alignment with the work I am called to do.
This year my word is 'discipline.' I've got some things I want to accomplish in my business this year. It is going to be hard, and it's going to take discipline, even when I don't feel like doing the work. I will quickly be able to remind myself that discipline is going to help me get where I am going. Simple. Easy to remember. And it brings me back to the beliefs that I am practicing about myself:
I am willing to be uncomfortable to reach my goals
I am disciplined in my work
I am focused when I work (I'm looking at you ADHD squirrel brain!)
I will grow through my discomfort
... and so on.
I would love, love, love to hear what your Word for 2023 will be!! And what beliefs will you be practicing about yourself on your journey. Send me a message and let me know. Let's go get this year together!
I got you!
