2022 is coming to an end, and very soon, we will all be stepping into 2023. This is the time of year when we usually start thinking about what we would like to achieve in the next year. You may have set goals in the past, but have you always achieved them? The truth is setting goals is not really enough, you also need to make sure you put plans in place to make them a reality. That’s the difference between dreaming and doing! So let’s dive in and take a look at a few ways you can use to help you set goals for the new year.
Set realistic and attainable goals
When it comes to setting goals for the new year, it's always better to keep your goals realistic. A realistic goal should also be an achievable goal too. After all, if your goal isn't attainable, then it's not a goal. It's more of a wish to be added to your wishlist. We're not saying you don't aim for the stars, but we are saying aim for the star you can reach.
A great way to set a realistic goal is to break the goal down into smaller and more achievable goals. This way, you can slowly make your way to the end of the finish line with enough stamina to carry on to the next big thing instead of running out of energy and failing before you get there. Think about how difficult it would be to achieve the goal you have in mind. If the goal seems easy enough to accomplish without breaking it down, give it a shot! On the other hand, if you think the goal might be a difficult one, think about ways you could set a smaller goal you could achieve in order to make your initial goal easier to achieve.
By making your goals realistic, you can avoid failing or giving up on your goals. A lack of motivation could really affect you when it comes to setting more goals in the future too. Let's say, for example, that you've set a large goal that you won't be able to achieve. You might find that along the way, things are becoming too difficult, which may force you to give up to avoid failure. This could be really demotivating and perhaps even make you consider giving up on other goals that you've also made for the new year. On the other hand, the goals that you do achieve will be a great source of motivation when it comes to setting goals in the future. A goal achieved isn't just another step closer to success, but it will serve as a source of inspiration for goals that you've yet to set and achieve.
Give yourself a deadline
Many people who set themselves goals often fail to give themselves a deadline for when they would like to have achieved their goals. At first glance, setting a deadline might not seem like a big deal, and many people who don't set themselves a deadline might think it's too much pressure. They might also say things like, "the goal will be achieved when the time is right." It's not a race to complete your goals, but without a deadline, where is the incentive to achieve them?
People can go on for years setting the same goal every year without ever setting a deadline and not really doing anything to help themselves achieve it. A deadline, on the other hand, gives you a timeframe to work in. When you have a timeframe, you can make a plan to make your goal more attainable and easier to visualize the steps you need to take to be able to achieve them. The basic idea behind setting a deadline is you want to achieve your goals, so you achieve them. It's as simple as that. Sometimes you might find that you haven't given yourself enough time, which just means that you misjudged what it would take in order to achieve it. Don't get downhearted about it should you miss the deadline. It just means you made a mistake in your timeframe. Make it into a lesson for yourself, reset the goal, reset the deadline, and try again. If you achieve the goal before the deadline, then well done!
Either a win or a loss will help you to get better at judging how much time you need in order to achieve different goals that you set yourself but achieving it ahead of schedule is a cause for celebration. While you are enjoying your victory over time, kindly ask yourself if you might have given yourself too much time to complete the goal and if, in the future, you could give yourself a shorter time frame in order to complete the goal. Keep celebrating your victory, and don't ask yourself that question in an undermining way. Just bear in mind that next time you might need a bit more of a challenge.
Create goals for different areas of your life
Goals for the new year are small aspects of people's lives that they often don't get right. A goal is a small thing, but they make a big difference in people's lives after writing down your goals for the new year as yourself if they are balanced. Do your goals take into consideration one area of your life or all areas of your life? If your list of goals is unbalanced, then you might find that you make gains and bigger achievements in one area of your life while leaving other areas of your life in the dust.
Some people make goals that solely focus on their careers. Others might make goals that only focus on their mental and physical health. Others might choose their family, relationships, and home life to focus solely on. But the truth is, to live a balanced and fulfilling life and get the most out of next year, you have to consider all these areas when you set your goals. What good are your goals in helping others around you with their problems if your mental health is under strain? An example like the one I've just used shows us that these different areas of our life might seem separate when we look at them on paper. We can even put them into different categories. But the truth is, in reality, they are all linked because they are all part of your life.
So make sure your goals are balanced. Choose goals that will advance your career and set a goal that will have you keep some time aside for loved ones and relationships. After all, they're your biggest supporters, so it's important to keep them around and not let relationships deteriorate. Try setting some goals that will keep you more physically active so you can maintain a healthy body that can cope with the strains of other areas of your life. By covering as much as you can with your goals, you'll be able to move your entire life up a notch instead of just one aspect of it and live a balanced life next year and in the years to come.
Set the goals for yourself, not for other people
This is an important one to remember. Are the goals you are writing down for you, or are you trying to please someone else? Are they goals that you want to achieve, or are they goals that someone else wants you to achieve? Do you even want the goals you've written down? This isn't a problem that will affect everyone, but it's still something to keep in mind when you're writing your goals.
If your goals aren't for yourself, then your desire to achieve them will be weak. A goal that you don't support with all your heart is a goal you're not likely to achieve. Even if you think you want the goal and you've convinced yourself that it's what you want, your conscience won't lie, and you'll lack the real drive to be able to follow through on your/not your goal. And failing at someone else's goal that they want for you is oddly as demoralizing as failing at a goal you set for yourself.
You also want to ensure that your goals are designed to better your life before they benefit someone else. They should benefit you first and then trickle down to benefit others. If you don't think the goal is yours, then it's better to abandon it and replace it with a goal you feel in your heart, one you feel would improve your life. Remember, it's better to do this than waste your time and effort to try to achieve something that won't bring you any joy or personal feelings of success.
Reward yourself for achieving your goals
This is a rule you should never forget! Give yourself a good reward after aching your goal. Without it, where's the reward? Of course, your life will have improved after achieving your goal but make sure you properly reward yourself. By doing this, you will give yourself a great memory of what it felt like to achieve the goal you planned out at the beginning of the year. This memory can be used later when you might find yourself struggling with a future goal. Use this memory as a source of motivation. And don't forget to celebrate the little steps in life as well! These are the ones that will bring you to your end goal. Remember how you felt celebrating your last win when you were feeling down on your luck about pursuing your next goal. It also helps to be able to remember the reward you gave yourself clearly, so it's always a good idea to write it down so you can read back through the good times to get you through the tough times.
Make use of all these tips while you are planning your goals, bear them in mind while you are pursuing your goals, and remember them after you have achieved them too. There's always more to achieve waiting around the corner, so keep up the good work, good luck, and happy holidays.
Best wishes and let's make the most out of 2023!
We'll see you in the next year,
Your CLD Team
