It's not uncommon to associate a new year with starting fresh, restarting, and starting over.
Whether you've decided to fix, change or improve something, or even if you haven't, goal setting will go a long way in improving your productivity, well being and focus.
Stop, Pause, Reflect
It's easy to think '2022 was a hard year'. But let's just stop for a moment and really look at it.
Stop for a moment and just reflect on what happened to you last year. Did you learn? Did you grow? Did you lose? Did you win? The good, and the bad.
Put Pen to Paper
There is nothing better than writing your goals down, and making a plan to achieve them. Having a visual of what your goals will drive your motivation. First of all, identify:
Need to's (required to achieve your goals)
Have to's (your obligations/responsibilities - turning up to work)
Want to's (not necessary but desired eg a holiday)
If you already have a 2023 Weekly Planner, then you may have spotted the goals page created for you to work through some ideas. I have also set up a page for subscribers to receive a FREE copy of my Goal Setting Planner pdf. Simply find 'subscriber printables' from the drop down menu on my homepage.
Most impossible goals can be met simply by breaking them down into bite-size chunks, writing them down, believing them, and going full speed ahead as if they were routine. - Don Lancaster
Adding to the Mix
Create your goals. Think family, personal, business, financial, physical, mental, learning something new, perfecting a craft. Write them down and make a plan on the STEPS to take, and HOW LONG you will need to achieve these.
The Tricky Part
Now that you have established your goals, make sure they align with your priorities. This might make you step back and realise that in fact, your focus needs to change.
It can be so easy to get bogged down and strung out over things that really shouldn't be our focus. Yes, sometimes we have to deal with issues that take our time and energy, but if we have our priorities right, we will learn to put the unnecessary things aside when we need to.
If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan, but never the goal. - Anonymous
Ponder the Path
Don't forget to check back and review your goals over time. It's a great way to see if you're still on track or if your path has changed directions. Never lose focus of the end goal though. You may need to change the time frame or the plan, but keep your goal in the forefront of your mind.
Reap the Benefits
Not only will you be achieving goals, but boosting your motivation, self esteem and self confidence in your own abilities. So get started now and make the most of 2023.