After I graduated college, it started happening. No sooner was it January of the new year and we were popping a bottle of champagne to celebrate, it was also June, half way to the next year. Every year I am caught off guard with how fast time actually goes by.
I don’t know about you but I’m always asking, “What’s next?” I’m one motivated human and I have a lot of things I want to accomplish in this life. But with that calendar year coming and going in what feels like a snap of a finger, it’s easy for the days to go by with little to show for it except for binging on the second season of Emily in Paris.
Somewhere in the middle of hustling as a PR gal in NYC and finding my entrepreneurial self, I learned the very best secret to making the most of the year.
Writing your goals down.
I’m a natural encourager. I want everyone to be their most awesome self and I really believe that envisioning and then acting on what you want out of your life is how you will achieve it.
It’s easy to be busy and still not get anything done. Queue laundry, household chores, watching hours of TV, etc. So how can you accomplish the important things that will contribute to real life satisfaction?
Step 1 -- Write your goals down.
I spent the last couple of months reading about how to most effectively use your time. My research always circled back to one core point: write your goals down— as specific as possible.
I know… kind of mundane on the surface. The reality though is that nothing happens on its own. You’re in charge of your life and if you sit on the couch every night after work, well, nothing happens. Then with every passing year, you start to wonder what’s the purpose of life.
Step 2 -- Break those goals into action steps.
Say you want to pay off college debt. Rather than “pay off my college debt,” the more specific goal would be “pay off $10,000 of my student debt this year.” Then you can actually compute how much a month you would need to save in order to do that.
Step 3 - Disclose your why.
Here’s the really interesting part. It’s the why. Using this example, why do you want to pay off your debt? Because it will get me closer to my financial goals. Because the burden of debt will be lifted. Because I will use that money in a way that will bring me joy. Because the shame of my poor spending choices will be erased.
Going beyond the surface about why that goal is important to you helps you appreciate it more when you accomplish it. I've read that asking yourself why five times gets you to the true reason it matters to you.
A Final Tip
Outline your goals into “realms of life.” Those include relationships, health, professional development, personal growth, and finances. Add others as appropriate. This organization lets you see what areas of your life you most want to influence or change. Or perhaps you want to create a goal for each area.
Ok, now it’s up to you! How will you play big in 2023?
Leave me a comment and let me what goal immediately comes to mind as you're reading this. Don't wait for later. Take the first step right now! Telling someone else your goals is the first step to making it happen, and I would love to be your cheerleader!
I was listening to a podcast recently and I heard the BEST guiding principle for living your best self:
“My definition of playing big is being more loyal to your dreams than to your fears.”
Tara Mohr said this and it immediately inspired me to think and play bigger. I hope it has a similar impact on you.
Make this year your best year yet!