Happy New Year!!
Welcome to the very 1st post in my new blog series:
A Fabulous Year for A Fabulous You
I hope that 2018 becomes your Best year yet! My reason for this 31 day, non-stop, inspiration packed series is to help you create that amazing year for yourself.
First things first! Today we are going to talk about Resolutions, and how YOU can choose the right ones for the amazing year you are about to have.
***Fair warning before you read any further:
This is not going to be just another fluffy New Year New You post. I will not just be giving you a list of cute and fun ideas for the new year, and then sending you on your merry way (although I have attached a printable list of some awesome ideas to this post just in case you need a little extra inspo, and because well, challenges and changes should still be fun and fluffy if necessary, annnd it’s always helpful to have a list of ideas to started.)
That being said, I’m not just going to tell you to set goals like: drink more water, walk on a beach each week, write in your gratitude journal every day, or to send more hand written thank you notes. While all of these are nice little sentiments, and things that will probably bring some positivity to your life, (side note: the water thing is a given people; if you aren’t getting enough H2O each day, stop being mean to your body and just do it ok?)
I want this post to be about setting meaningful goals that help you achieve what you really want. I want you to look back in December of 2018, and be really proud of your accomplishments. I want to give you a great resource today to get you headed in the right direction this year.
So, If you really want to pick meaningful resolutions this year that change and improve your life, then this post is for you.
If you’re ready for all of that then YAY! Me too! Grab a pen and some paper, and lets get to those goals.
Resolution Tip # 1: Don’t make wishes this year….make goals.
This year, before you choose what areas of your life you are going to focus on and change, or what accomplishments you’re going to tackle, take a moment to figure out your why.
Your why is your reason.
You have to have a clear vision of what you truly want. It must excite and inspire you.
Our emotional intensity will determine our follow through in the end, so we need to have a deep, strong reason to keep going. That being said, if you figure our your reasons first, your answer (or goal) will follow.
Why that goal?
So before you decide on your resolutions this year, ask yourself:
Why do I want to change that aspect of my life? What do I really want my end result to be? Why am I unhappy with the way things are in that area of my life now? What would bring more enjoyment, peace, and fulfillment to my life this year? Which of my personal beliefs and values does this goal resonate with? What obstacles am I will to deal with in order to see this goal through? - In other words, what unpleasantries and hardships are you willing to deal with in order to see your dreams come to fruition?
Ask yourself as many questions as you need to in order to get down to the nitty gritty and really determine what resolutions are right for you this year.
Here’s a few examples that are little more specific of 2 popular resolutions and the questions one might ask themselves in order to find their why:
Example Resolution #1: To further your education this year and go back to school:
Why do you want to go back to school? Is it to make more money? To further your career? To learn a new skill you’ve always wanted to have?
What does a greater education mean for you? Do you consider it simply a personal bucket list achievement or is more career related?
Example Resolution #2: Becoming more physically fit
Why do you want to change and improve your physical fitness? Is it to lose weight? To tone up? To build a healthier body and lifestyle? To train for an event you’d like to participant in?
Why do you want to commit working out several times each week? Is it to strengthen your body? Build more flexibility? To become more aware of your physical health? Or maybe to become more disciplined?
Really break down each resolution, and get very clear as to why you desire to achieve it so much.
Resolution Tip # 2: Be SMART about it
When you’re trying to pick your resolutions this year remember that they aren’t just momentary wishes; they are YOUR GOALS. So how do you pick a goal that’s actually attainable?
Use the S.M.A.R.T technique.
This is a strategy I was introduced to in college by my TAMUCC National Honor Society Chapter (shout out to my alma mater.)
AND It’s one of the most popular and proven techniques of ensuring your goal is fit for success.
SMART stands for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time based.
Simply put, if your goal is all of these things, you are much more likely to see it to through to the end.
Resolution Tip # 3: To have a resolution is to resolve something. To decide.
“Change your mind, Change your life.” - Tony Robbins
It’s when you actually decide; that’s where the power lies. That’s the different between failure and success.
Once you have your why, you have to take it a bit further if you don’t want to experience that burn out after the momentum of the New Year New You vibes have all worn off.
You have to decide.You have to change your mind from the old way of thinking to the new.
So What exactly should you decide?
Decide now that these goals and accomplishments are your only option for the year; nothing else. Losing that momentum is not an option. Quitting is not an option. Your old way of doing things in that area of your life is not an option. Doubting yourself is not an option. Allowing yourself to become uninspired is not an option. ANYTHING other than the steps you must take to achieve or accomplish those resolutions is not an option.
I know that probably sounded a little intense, and it was meant too. Because, the truth is, If you are going to achieve a goal of any kind it has to be your only option.
Resolution Tip # 4: Don’t be hopeful, be relentlessly determined to progress.
I like to think of progress as the glue that holds together your vision or dream, and the actual success or accomplishment of that dream.
It’s often just skimmed over when we read, watch, listen or talk about any type of How To’s when it comes to goals and accomplishment. I know it gets a mention from time to time, but what progress actually entails gets lost somewhere between the initial momentary motivation and excitement and the end results.
What most goal setters don’t realize when they start out, is that progress is the key to success and happiness. Progress is one of the essential reasons that goals get achieved.
So what is progress anyway? We often just see progress as large steps or major growth towards our goals, but its so much more than those milestone moments. It’s every little step you take to get there. Just simply writing down your goal each and every single day and working toward at least one little aspect of that goal is progress. If you are doing this you are progressing. Don’t let big shiny milestones along the way outshine all the little things you do moment by moment because they are just as important. If you are reading this right now in an effort to achieve your goals, guess what? You are progressing.
So this year when you start working toward your goal, stay mindful of the importance of progress.
Resolution Tip # 5: It’s all about Strategy
Because I want this post to be a road map not just another opinion on mindset and strategy, I am sharing the resolution strategy I’m personally using this year along with the other tips I’ve mentioned above.
My Resolution Strategy for 2018:
When we pick our resolutions in the new year, I find it easier to set better, more meaningful goals if I first focus on the categories in my life I want to make those changes in.
Those categories are:
Personal
Relationships
Physical
Financial
Business
Spiritual
Household
You can break these down into subcategories as well (which I’ve done below in printable PDF form as an easy to use resource, and for the sake of this post not being a million hours long.) Using categories and subcategories can help you stay more organized with your specific goals. It’s also good to use subcategories if there’s a particular category or area in your life you really want to focus on this year.
The printable download I’ve created and attached to this post gives you a breakdown and definition of each category, and all their subcategories so that you can affectively use them to set your goals. If you would like to have a list of these 5 Categories and the subcategories that I have created to go along with them, you can download this helpful resource right here.
That’s not all folks! Because I think goals are so important in our lives, I have added more great goal setting tips and broken down the steps even further for you below.
GOAL SETTING 101:
1. Pick a goal or two from each category of your life that you are inspired to achieve this year.
— Goal Getter Tip: Remember your why for each resolution you choose. If your goal isn’t something you truly desire, then you probably won’t stick with it. Need a few ideas to get you started? Use the two free printable downloads I’ve created here to get ideas and get started setting meaningful goals in the most important categories of your life.
2. Be SMART about it. Make sure your goal is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time based before you commit to it.
— Goal Getter Tip: Use my SMART Goal free printable to keep all of your resolutions this year in check.
3. Write it down. Once you’ve established those fabulous resolutions, write them down. Keep them by your bed or on your desk so you can review them every single day.
— Goal Getter Tip: Keep your list of goals next to your bed and every single morning make reading that list the first thing you do each day until that goal is accomplished. Challenge yourself to touch your list before you touch your phone. Even better yet, get in the habit of reviewing the list twice. Read through it right before you fall asleep as well.
4. Take action. Once you’ve decided on your future achievements and changes for 2018, take a little time to focus on how each goal will be met. Develop a specific plan for each one. I’ve got a great post with an easy strategy on putting your ideas into action coming up tomorrow so stay tuned! If you wanna turn those New Years wishes into actual goals, then tomorrows post is for you.
— Goal Getter Tip: Don’t let this next phase in the goal getting process stop you, scare you, or detour your from chasing after what you really want this year. Shed those past memories of any failures you might be feeling and focus on the next small task at hand, not the big picture. Just keep the next small step in mind, execute and then move to the next. You got this!
5. Get excited! This is the beginning of your journey to becoming what you want to be this next year so be proud of yourself for taking the first step and GET EXCITED about the adventure to come. There will probably be days that seem daunting and days that seem to breeze by, but in the end you will have grown, learned, and become. So do a little (or a big) happy dance girlfriend!
— Goal Getter Tip: Don’t lose momentum early on, and intentionally STAY excited throughout your year. Create boards on Pinterest, join Facebook groups, and curate spaces in your home and life that inspire you toward your goals. I have a whole section on Fab Philosophy devoted to motivate and inspire you daily so I’d love if you visited me here! I’ll do my absolute best to keep you excited and on track! PLUS: There will be a whole post on inspiration and how to find it coming up this month.
There you have it! Those are my best tips to get you in the right mindset and on your way to setting the best goals for yourself this year.
I want to know what awesome and exciting goals you’ve set for yourself this year, so let me know in the comments below this post!
And don’t forget about the free printable resources for this post:
Thank you so much for stopping by the blog; I hope you found value and inspiration here today.
XO, Brit