Set Achievable Goals in 4 Simple Steps

1. Devise a theme and vision for your year

Setting a goal without visualizing the final result doesn’t allow you the space to explore your motivation and can lead to a never-ending quest. When you define a theme for the upcoming year, you align your actions and decisions on what you truly desire to accomplish.

Choose a word or phrase that describes what you want to accomplish and let this inspire your activities for each day, week, and month.

After choosing the theme, create a vision. Imagine yourself in a year from now and describe how you see your life. Mention how you are feeling, who you are with, how you see your own happiness, what success means to you, what excites you, what brings you energy, what matters in your day-to-day life.

2. Choose your focus area

Describe specific, measurable and tangible goals in every key area of your life.

• Health and well-being: set goals that will help you stay healthy and feel good.
• Self-growth: think about what you are going to do to expand your mind; what skills you want to attain; what books you want to read; how you can maintain a positive mindset.
• Creativity and learning: list new skills, knowledge, improvements, etc.
• Professional: envision your professional goals and get into details. Make these goals measurable, achievable and relevant. Think big and set goals that will also help you leave your comfort zone.
• Financial: list here anything that goes under the umbrella of finances: saving, investing, gaining more money.
• Giving and contribution: think in which ways you can contribute to your community, other human beings, our planet.
• Relationships: list steps and actions to improve your relationships; think of how you can spend more quality time together with people you care about; and decide if you want to establish new connections.

3. Categorize your goals

Separate your goals into categories to ensure they are balanced, otherwise you may set too many goals in one area of your life and not give enough attention to another. Be specific with your goals–it will make it much easier to figure out a plan for how to achieve them.

Choose focus areas that are relevant and important to you and write down 3-5 goals for each that would make next year your best ever.

4. Create a clear strategy

Create an action plan for how you will achieve each of your goals. The best way to tackle this is to work backward from the desired result and define what action is needed to get you there. Divide the year into quarters, months, and weeks, and identify what milestones need to be accomplished at different points of the year.

Set deadlines for each milestone, as deadlines make you more accountable, making it more likely that you will fulfil your goal.

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Having this clear strategy will make you more intentional and mindful with every single of your decisions and steps; and more clear with where you are now, and where you want to go. If you want to know more about this yearly goal setting practice, check out the Best Year Journal, your guide to a more fulfilling and successful future.