Welcome to the 4th edition of Create Your Best Life 2019, the ultimate goal setting guide to help you live with intention and become the best version of yourself.
Are you ready to take on 2019? It’s here! And it’s up to you to make the most of it.
I’m sharing with you the process and tools I have used to accomplish my goals for the past 2 years- from starting a small business, going from primarily offering online to more in-person services, hosting wellness/yoga workshops and retreats and being promoted at work. The process works. As I tracked and reviewed along the way changes were made, but having a guide and a clear vision from the beginning has helped me accomplish more than I ever imagined.
Ask your self what you really want. What are your priorities? What is it that you are looking for? What do you want to achieve?
A daily commitment to your goals and living your best life, keeps your spirit alive, your resolve strong, your mindset focused and your actions inspired.
Let’s begin with why you should set goals.
BENEFITS OF SETTING GOALS
Some of the benefits of goal setting include:
- Goals direct your attention and efforts.
- Goals help you idenitify what is within your control and how you will overcome obstacles.
- Goals are empowering.
- There is a satisfaction in the process and the accomplishments.
- Setting goals can increase self-confidence.
- Setting goals keeps you focused on what is most important.
- Goals increase motivation.
Ask your self what you really want. What are your priorities? What is it that you are looking for? What do you want to achieve?
A daily commitment to your goals and living your best life, keeps your spirit alive, your resolve strong, your mindset focused and your actions inspired.
How to Create a Pattern of Success
Once you experience success you will be able to look back and realize that you achieve all success pretty much the same way. You set a goal, follow through on the tasks needed to be done for achieving results, keep an open mind, learn from others, track your successes and learn from failure. It’s the same thing, over and over again. And it works.
If you want to create a pattern of success in your life, you can start now by learning the secret that successful people know. Successful people aren’t necessarily smarter or luckier. Successful people are successful because they are doers and follow through.
Become a Goal Setting Expert
Start at the top and learn how to craft the best goals for yourself. Know that the goal is something that can be accomplished and know that the goal is measurable before you finish writing it. Most of all, make sure it’s a goal that you really want to achieve.
Schedule Everything
If you want to get something done, schedule it no matter how silly it might seem to you. If you put it in a schedule at a particular time, and not just on a generic to-do list, it will be more likely that you get it done.
For instance, if you have set a goal to write a 80,000 word novel by a certain date, then you should know how many pages you need to get done each week and which days you can work on it, which times, hours, and how long it takes you to write a page. Successful writers write; they don’t wait for inspiration to strike. They schedule it, and do it. The same can be said for anything you want to achieve; run a marathon, start a business, buy a new home, etc.. You don’t wait until you want to do it; you do it on schedule.
Automate the Mundane
There are a lot of things that need to be done, but that can easily escalate into time consuming busy work, which doesn’t get you closer to a goal. Automate some of your daily tasks and free up time to focus on your scheduled activities that must be done to achieve the goal is a more productive use of time.
Get Outside Expert Help
To be a success doesn’t mean you have to do everything on your own. The best scientists, professors, doctors, lawyers, and CEOs have assistants who help them look great. You too can hire outside help and contractors to help you do the tasks needed to reach your goals. There aren’t many tasks that you can’t outsource today.
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Stop Reinventing the Wheel
In most cases, someone has already accomplished the same goal you want to accomplish. Someone has already worked out the kinks and devised a plan of action that will work for you too with hardly any tweaks. Learn from other people’s mistakes and realize that you can gain valuable information from what others are already doing.
Know Your Core Values
As you set goals to create a pattern of success, it’s imperative that you know what your core values are in terms of family, personal, financial and your physical life. Everyone has different areas they need to work on – you need to know what your areas are to set realistic goals that you want to meet. Then, align your goals with your values and your actions with your goals.
Track, Assess, Repeat
Nothing is ever done without the paperwork, as they say. Well, that includes creating a pattern of success. Only by setting goals, then tracking and assessing the results of the goals, and then repeating what works will you create a pattern of success.
Creating a pattern of success requires knowledge of goal setting, and goal achieving, and an in-depth knowledge of yourself. Starting today you can gain that knowledge and create a real pattern of success in your life.
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Let’s get started.
Set aside small amounts of time over the course of a week or 2 to read, absorb and ponder the process and information. Going through the process will help overcome the overwhelm by helping you plan so you’re not trying to accomplish everything all at once. The time spent will be worth it!
If you’re having a hard time coming up with goals or having too many, check out the tips to brainstorm your goals:
- set aside 5-10 minutes to simply brainstorm ideas
- think about the things that are truly important to you
- narrow down to a specific area of life- family, career, health, charity, money, travel, etc.
- write down anything and everything that comes to mind- nothing is too big or too small (you can narrow down the list later)
DON’T JUST GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS OF DAY-TO-DAY LIFE.
You can achieve personal fulfillment and growth by giving your actions and energy purpose and direction. Setting goals provides focus and helps shape our dreams into reality. Goals give us the ability to live life with intention and to hone in on the actions we need to perform to achieve what we desire in life.
Setting personal goals can be one of the most life-changing, challenging things you do. In the process of setting your goals you not only learn about yourself, but also discover your priorities and what you truly want out of life. Priorities and desire then become a guide for your actions.
6 TIPS TO ALIGN YOUR ACTIONS WITH YOUR PRIORITIES
- Be aware of how you currently spend your time
- Identify the non-negotiables. The things that simply HAVE to be done.
- Make a short list of 2-3 actions-for-the-day every morning.
- Do something relevant to your goal every day.
- Keep time open for non-goal related activities.
- Journal your progress at the end of the day.
SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
There is a huge power in writing your goals down even if you never develop an action plan or do anything else (not recommended). Henriette Anne Klauser documents this in her fascinating book, Write It Down and Make It Happen. When you write something down, you are stating your intention and setting things in motion.
You’ve probably heard of S.M.A.R.T goals before…and that’s because it’s a formula that works. Here’s an overview:
SPECIFIC What exactly do you want to achieve in as much detail as possible. Goals should contain a detailed description of what is to be accomplished; when it is to be accomplished and the actions that will be taken to accomplish it. A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal.
MEASURABLE How you will know when you’ve achieved your goal. Make it quanitifable. Assign a number to it. Keeping track of progress gives you incentive to keep going.
ATTAINABLE The right mix of goals that are challenging, but not too extreme.
REALISTIC An objective toward which you are willing and able to work. A goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished.
TIMELY Have a specific date of completion. The date should be realistic but not too distant in the future. When we set a timeline our goal becomes a priority and we maintain focus.
I know, we’ve all been there, goals set and never achieved, right? That doesn’t mean we should stop trying.
As you’re dreaming big and planning goals to live those dreams keep this in mind, the point of setting intentional goals isn’t to plan your entire life. The goals are a guide to help you find your priorities and purpose and live your best life.
Accountability is key to accomplishing your goals and helps to stay motivated. Accountability is when you take responsibility for your actions. When you “own” them and it’s key to improving your health and wellness.
Life happens, priorities change and interests change. Goals aren’t set in stone. You can always change your goals or change the path to achieving your goals.
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE. THE BEGINNING OF LIVING YOUR DREAMS!
TAKEAWAYS FOR SUCCESSFUL GOAL SETTING:
- Align your goals with your priorities to make them meaningful and give them value
- Write your goals down
- Break your goals down into manageable action steps
- Goals are not set in stone, revisit your goals throughout the year and make changes if needed
- Celebrate the successes, big and small!
Setting a goal isn’t solely about the goal itself; it’s about the structure you create to help yourself succeed.
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This was so helpful and came at the perfect time. I’ve really tried to set myself good (and achievable) goals and I’ve done an okay job at sticking to them but this will definitely help me rethink how I set my goals.
Wow, this is a great guide! Without goals, it’s hard to know where you’re going (or where you’ll end up). I love the quotes you included too!
I too set a goal every time but always fail…will try another one this time and try to fully concentrate on it.
I too set a goal every time but always fail…will try another one this time and try to fully concentrate on it.
Gosh I love the positivity and focus of this post. I feel like with the aid of the guide I can accomplish anything as long as I stick to it and follow the steps!
In the New Year I do try to set new goals for me to complete. Last year I made a goal to work hard on my blog and I do.
I always set good goals and follow it well for couple of months too and then after that whoosh… it all disappears 🙂
Thanks for this guide.
These are great tips! I live by the S.M.A.R.T goals rule. It makes all the difference in a actually setting attainable, achievable goals.
I am all for goal setting. It really helps to hold you accountable. I hope to be more mindful in 2019 and set more goals!
I just had a huge schedule change at my day job, so I’ve been working really hard to be intentional with my time outside of work going into the holidays and then the New Year. Great reminders!
xoxo A
It is SO important to schedule everything so you can know if you’re actually meeting your goals or not! Love this advice and I’m definitely going to start my calendar ASAP.
Love this! I love setting goals and I can’t wait to write down next years challenges
So needed this today! With the new baby and my two older kids it has been hard to get anything done. I love these ideas
This is one of the most comprehensive posts about goals. Really great! It’s hard to believe we’re coming into a new year but I am excited for the goals I’ve started to develop for myself and my blog. thanks for sharing such a great resource.
Great post! I’m all for scheduling everything and writing stuff down–I’d never remember all my goals if not for that!
It is definitely important to narrow down your goals. Remembering and sticking to your core values is key for me as well.
Can’t believe the new year is just around the corner. These are great tips for goal setting. Thanks for sharing 🙂
This was amazing !! Such an awesome post! I needed to read this today. Love the printables too .
Absolutely love this, Jill. Setting goals are always important to me- but at any time of the year, not necessarily for the New Year!
Ebony x