The new year has started, and you’ve got goals. I get it. You are motivated and feeling good, but there is also this little thought in the back of your head questioning if you will actually accomplish everything you have set out to do. If you are like me, that comes from years past when you have repeatedly proven more time than not that you are better at not accomplishing your yearly goals than achieving them. That doesn't have to be what the end of 2019 will look like. It’s a new year and this year you are going to make a plan. Think of this as a “saving yourself from yourself” type action plan.
Set goals don’t make resolutions
First of all, if you have goals instead of resolutions you are already on your way. Resolutions seem to get lost in the cracks of everyday life, and I don’t know if you have noticed, but your daily life IS your life. Sure the big moments stand out, but the everyday makes you who you are. Your everyday is probably also already full. So how to do you accomplish more with an already packed schedule? We plan, and we stick to the plan.
Why action plans work
The great thing about a plan is that it gives you a roadmap. The great thing about an action plan is that it breaks down your wildest dreams into manageable bite-size pieces that you can actually accomplish with life swirling around you. There is a downside to planning, and that is that rarely do we do it in a way that allows for error (also known as real life). You see, to make your action plan actually work you have to be realistic and at the end of the day, you have to give yourself grace if you weren’t able to stay on track. Revisiting and adjusting your goals and timeline is key to long term success and reaching those big lofty goals.
Create your plan
- What is something you want to accomplish? Do you have a passion project you would love to devote time too? What is your ideal day and what do you need to do to achieve it?
- Set a couple of goals - I suggest no more than 5-10 big goals for the year. To fill most fulfilled it is a great idea to make goals that hit different categories like personal, work, and home. Pro tip - make sure they are measurable and write them as if you are doing it. I.e., I will earn $3,000 per month by October 31, 2019.
- Prioritize your goals - I like to do this either based off of importance and/or timeline. For instance, one of my goals is to launch a limited edition spring line for Ind. Trad. In the grand scheme of things it is lower on my priority list, but if I want to accomplish it within the year, I only have one chance to do so at the beginning or in Q1.
- Set soft/hard dates of completion - For time-sensitive goals set hard dates. For other goals, you may be shooting for having it done by a specific month. This year, I’m setting a couple of goals per quarter and will reassess each quarter to stay on track.
- Work backward - This is where the magic happens. Break each large goal into smaller goals that are more bite size. Then set dates of completion for each of those. Don’t forget to add a little wiggle room or be very realistic when setting these dates.
- Plug and work - Now plug each deadline into your planner and set daily or weekly task. Start working backward from each of them.
- Monthly/Weekly/Daily/Hourly - to set yourself up right now you need to take a step back and 1. See if you were realistic and 2. Make the time to work on your goals. Often you need to restructure your months, weeks, days and hours to make that happen. It may also mean that you see you need to outsource something to free up some time. At a min., I suggest setting some routines and schedules for yourself. Begin following them and adjust as needed till you find YOUR perfect recipe.
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Need examples?
I’ve been hashing this out for my personal and business life for the last week or more. I’ve planned Q1 as well as set up routines and schedules I know I can stick too by month, week, day, and year. Including everything from big goals to content planning to my cleaning routine. I’ve laid it all out for you HERE. Drop me your name and email, and I’ll send it over as well as add you to our community newsletter.
Resources you can learn from:
- Productivity Paradox Podcast
- High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard
- The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
- The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins
- The Effortless Everyday by Katie Lee
Go on. Go after the life you want.
It is as simple and as complicated as that. The more I look into some of the greats I admire, the more I see that very few “got lucky” or had “overnight success.” Honestly, it gets me so fired up. This news means that you can. You! You can’t do it alone or have it right now, but you can accomplish the things you set out to if you stay focused and work hard. I challenge you to look deep inside and see for yourself what you want. Use that as a premise for everything. It’s how you choose your goals; it’s how you know when to say yes or no, it’s your why. The team here at Industrial Tradition is wishing you nothing but the best in 2019!
Let us know in the comments below, do you pick a word or phrase for each year? If so, what is your word for 2019?
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