How To Set and Achieve Your 2021 Goals
"We did it Joe!" We made it out of 2020. What a year! -- and I don't mean that in a good way. From the presidency, to the riots, the injustice, and the deaths, 2020 was eventful to say the least. Instead of turning back to worst of the past, let's focus on what is right ahead of us -- a brand new year -- a clean slate.
We've had time to adapt and adjust to the lockdown and quarantine styles. Most of us order everything to be delivered, while others still take their chances with the non-mask wearing Kens and Karens of the grocery stores. By now, the pity and self-doubt that the early stages of the isolation brought on us has come and gone. We can focus on self-growth and put to use what we learned in quarantine and blossom this year.
If you're not a reader, watch the two Live 2021 Planning Sessions Academe hosted with Anubis Crystals and Nichole Lynn Esthetics.
Coming Up With Goals -- Where to start?
Trying to think of my goals for 2021 was the last thing I needed to do in 2020. Shocker! I never got around to it. Every time I thought about making a list of goals, I got a bit of anxiety. I felt like 2021 had to make up for what was lost in 2020. Don't be like me and set unrealistic goals like that. I took a breath, came into the new year, and told myself "this is the year you start to become the women you want to be!"
WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE?
Think of who you want to be -- more selfless, more intentional, more consistent. Once I envisioned the women I wanted to become, my goals flooded the page which then turned to pages. Just getting something on paper is the hardest part, but once you get the ball rolling, you may not stop.
GET INSPIRED!
Go to Pinterest and create a vision board. On those days where you don't feel unmotivated or unsure what to do next, reference this to get inspired and get back on track to achieving the next goal. Go a step further and print out the pictures you find on Pinterest and add them to your bedroom or a wall in your creative space for daily inspiration.
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT?
When you have enough goals written down, go back and underline the ones that are most important to you. For example, I underlined 'impress myself,' 'focus on the process,' and 'don't let your ideas go to waste."
CATEGORIZE YOUR GOALS.
The last step to setting your goals is to organize them. Group them in to similar categories like business, personal, and social goals. Once they are in smaller groups, the overwhelmingly big list you made will look like you need to fill it in some more (there is always more room for improvement).
How to Achieve Them -- What does the process look like?
When thinking of how to accomplish these goals, think about the bigger picture. Create steps that you can implement into your daily life that will help you achieve your goals in the long-run. For example, my goal 'to not let my ideas go to waste' is a longterm goal, and some steps that I can implement into my daily routine is writing down every idea I come up with and setting aside a day every week to make an idea come to life. Depending on that idea, it can take a while, but you are building the lifestyle you want and it won't come overnight. But, you can do it! Remember that each goal has a different process that can take a longer amount a time to accomplish. Long-term goals will have more steps to them than your short-term goals -- plan ahead and make each step a step in the right direction.
Accountability -- Pushing through!
It's easy to write down your goals and steps and get excited for the future, but it's also easy to close your notebook and never look back at that list. Keep yourself accountable! You have to want to achieve your goals for you! Here are some ways to stay accountable:
REWARDS!
Stay motivated by rewarding yourself along the way. For example, if your goal is to lose weight by exercising more, reward yourself with cute workout clothes or new workout equipment every time you complete a step towards your goal.
TELL SOMEONE!
We all need some more time with our friends and family, why not grab someone to help you stay accountable? For example, a friend of mine, (@Anubis_Crystals), mentioned in our IGTV that her and her friend are planning on working out together once a month (love that!) -- That way they keep each other accountable. If you have someone else to do the steps with, not only is achieving your goals more fun, but when there are those days that you don't feel like completing a step, that friend can motivate you and you can do the same to them.
PLAN IT OUT!
Get a planner. I find it so much easier to remember things when it's written down. Another one of my goals is to fill out an entire planner. I try to check it multiple times a day, but I definitely check it every day. Plan ahead in the planner to keep yourself on track and at your own pace. Don't forget to set aside time to rest and enjoy (tip: make that one of your goals).
Writing it all down and doing them are two completely different actions. One is the set up and the other is the execution, but they go together. You cannot have one without the other. The process may be long, but remember to enjoy it because just focusing on the end goal won't satisfy you the way the process of getting there does. That's when you know you're on the right track -- when the process is just as satisfying as the end goal. Good luck!
written by:
Karisa Brown // @lifewithkarisa
