I love the idea of starting fresh (as much as possible) each new year. So, I spend some time the last day or two of each year and then spend some time setting goals for the coming year during the course of the first day or two of each new year.
The year 2020 provides a great opportunity, in my opinion, to add some long-term goal setting to the mix, too.
Some of My Ideas for 2020 Goals
For 2020, I’m working on goals that focus on my career and my health, and I plan to add a lot of chit-chat and some facts about things that interest me, here on Intrinsic Vicissitude. So, for tonight, I thought I would combine my personal tips for goal setting with my personal goals, as examples that show ways to apply the tips.
Picture Where You Want to End Up
This visionary step is the classic ‘begin with the end in mind’ and to apply it to my 2020 goal of focusing on my career, I am picturing how much time I want to invest in my writing work, and how much I would like to have earned by the end of 2020. I’m picturing how it will feel, the things I’ll buy, the things I’ll do, and how New Year’s Eve 2021 is going to look at my house.
Commit 2020 Goals to Paper
This commitment-forming step is for your 1-year or less short-term goals. Okay, it doesn’t have to be actual paper if you’re a digital type, but it’s important to write goals down because the written form puts something solid and real in front of you. Moving on to my goal of focusing on my health for this example, I’m writing down my commitments to:
- Drink more water
- Eat more vegetables
- E
ither walk, do resistance exercises, or yoga stretches at least five times per week. - Notice, I picked ‘gentle’ exercises that I find enjoyable to make it easier for myself to stay on track.
Add Some Long-Term Goals Since It’s a New Decade
You can set long-term goals anytime, but the start of a new decade is a great time to do it because it gives you an easily remembered date and time frame to work with as you aim for your goals. Like short-term goals, long-term goals should be written down to help you focus on them and make them more concrete. Allow yourself room to adjust them, though, because what you want today may not be what you want next year or five years from now.
Make a Success Plan Based on Your Goals
This step may take several days to complete, and it doesn’t matter if it takes longer than you originally expect. The important part is that you DO it. It’s practically impossible to go from point A (where you are now) to point C (your successfully reached goals) without filling in the point B (roadmap) details.
I’ll add a lot more about this in future posts, but basically, list a few things you KNOW you have to do in order to reach your goals. Want to make more money? What options do you have to do that? Get a new job or a second job? Charge more for your services? Consider all your options, and make a list of the things you’re going to do – that YOU GET TO CHOOSE from your list, and commit them to written form along with your short-term 2020 goals and long-term decade goals.
Set Deadlines for Completing Steps to Achieve Your Goals
Imagine if you were planning a trip, because the journey to reaching your goals is a type of trip in many ways. Typically, you would have a destination in mind, and know how far you plan to travel each day, and things you want to do. With goal-setting, the stops along the way are a vital part of your roadmap for the journey.
Deadlines help you stay on track, and as you reach each step successfully, you get to enjoy the success of having completed a leg of your journey to success. Plus, if you notice you’re falling way short, you can quickly adjust the things you’re doing – or not doing – so you can get back on track and work toward still reaching your short-term and long-term goals.
Thank You For Visiting Intrinsic Vicissitude!
Want someone to talk to for encouragement and support as you work toward your short-term and long-term goals? You’re welcome to add you comments below or stop by the Intrinsic Vicissitude Facebook page and click like so you can join in the conversation that’s going on there – or start a conversation about whatever you want to talk
I really appreciate you taking the time to stop by the site, and I hope you find something of interest here in the information I shared, or elsewhere on the site. Browse around the site to check out some of the other articles, too.
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