The new year is the perfect time to look forward and decide who you want to be and what you want to have accomplished a year from now. There is a simple process that will help you achieve the life you love this year.
I set goals almost every year. There have been many Decembers, however, when I have looked back on the previous year with disappointment as I realize I have only accomplished some of my goals and resolutions.
Not this year. In the last 12 months I really did accomplish what I set out to do. Here are a few things I was able to do this year that I’ve never done before: have individual “special time” with each of my children on most days; write most days in my journal; go on regular dates with my husband; run a Spartan Race; figure out how to design and launch a blog and post a new article every Friday; and design and print a digital family scrapbook for the year.
Why was this year so different than those in the past? Last January, I approached goal setting in a totally new way, and I’m so excited about it!
I want to share the process with you so you can look back in 2019 and say you’ve accomplished everything you wanted to do and you’ve become the person you wanted to become.
Underneath each step, I’ll give you a quick example of how I used this process to do my family scrapbook, which is something I’ve wanted to do for several years and finally conquered!
1. Dream Big
Many of us keep our goals small because we don’t like to be disappointed. It’s discouraging to look back at the end of the year and see that we didn’t make our goals “again.” This year—dream big! dream big. Set a goal for yourself that you feel is almost impossible—but one that really matters to you. One that you’d be willing to go all in on. Now, it’s important to remember that you can’t do the impossible in every area of your life in one year, so choose a few things to go really big on.
Example: I want to edit the thousands of pictures our family took in 2017, create a digital scrapbook of the highlights, and print it.
2. Answer the “Why”
Getting a new result means thinking about your goal differently and doing something differently. Change can be hard. Our brains resist it. So, it’s important to have a solid “why” this goal is important to you. You can fall back on this “why” to get you through the tough times when following through with your goal is hard, boring, or challenging.
Example: I want to create a record of my family so that we can enjoy looking at all the wonderful times we’ve had together.
3. Anticipate Obstacles
This step is usually the easiest. If you’re like most people, the minute you write down a big goal, your brain will offer you a long list of reasons why it is impossible. This is great news! Write down all the reasons why you can’t do it and you will have a complete list of the obstacles to accomplishing your goal.
Example: I’ll feel overwhelmed and I’ll put it off. I won’t feel like doing it. I’ll rather do something else. I won’t have time.
4. Plan How to Overcome Obstacles
These excuses are all lies—even the ones that really feel true. The real truth is that anything is figure-out-able. You are capable of way more than you think. Once you realize what is preventing you from accomplishing your goal, you can begin to systematically plan how to overcome each obstacle. Think through how you’ll deal with each set back.
Example: I’ll break my scrapbook down into small parts so each part doesn’t feel overwhelming. I’ll schedule out time to work on the scrapbook and stick to the schedule. I’ll remind myself how much our family will enjoy looking at the scrapbook.
5. Break it up into small parts
Our brains often resist big goals, because they feel hard and overwhelming. However, when you break up a goal into small parts it feels more manageable.
Example:
Jan. Edit pictures from Jan.-April (1 month of pictures each week)
Feb. Edit pictures from May-Aug. (1 month of pictures each week)
Mar. Edit pictures from Sept.-Dec. (1 month of pictures each week)
Apr. Find a digital template and upload all the pictures
May Scrapbook pictures from Jan. and Feb.
June Scrapbook pictures from Mar and Apr.
July Vacation—No work on scrapbook
August Scrapbook pictures from May and June
Sept. Scrapbook pictures from July and Aug.
Oct. Scrapbook pictures from Sept. and Oct.
Nov. Scrapbook pictures from Nov. and Dec.
Dec. Send to print!
6. Calendar It
Then, decide exactly when you’ll do each of the parts you have broken your goal down into. Write it on a yearly calendar. A friend of mine, Sterling Larsen, uses an excel spreadsheet to list out each goal across the top of the spreadsheet, and each week of the year along the side. He fills in the step for that week under each goal. This was so helpful for me. I printed out my spreadsheet and kept it on the back of my bedroom door. Each week I had a “planning meeting” with myself and put the steps for that week for each goal on my calendar.
Example: I’ll work on it during my daughter’s nap time every Wednesday afternoon from 1-3pm. I’ll write it on my calendar on every Wednesday of the year.
7. Follow Through
This might be the most challenging part. Stick to your calendar, even when you don’t feel like it. Even when other things seem more important. Even when you aren’t sure what to do. This is where it’s important to be a watcher of your own thoughts and choose to keep only those that are helpful. Sometimes following through means choosing to be disappointed that you miss out on other things, or choosing to be tired or bored or busy. Being willing to be a little uncomfortable and to forego what we want immediately is the key to achieving your dreams.
Example: Even on days I have other things I need to do, or I feel like taking a nap instead, I will still do it.
8. Celebrate!
The minute our brains solve one problem, they are trained to move right to the next problem, so we rarely take time to stop and enjoy the fruits of our labor. Take time to celebrate your success—not only is it fun, it actually creates more dopamine (the neurotransmitter of desire) that will help fuel you to keep going with your goal and set new ones in the future.
Example: We have a family party to celebrate the arrival of the book and look at it together!
Good luck! I’m excited for you celebrate all you’ve accomplished at the end of 2019.
Create the Life You Love
Imagine yourself at the end of 2019. Who do you want to be? What do you want to have contributed to the world and to the people around you?
Once you’ve decided on a few important goals, follow the steps here in this article and you’ll be surprised at what you can accomplish.
