Steps for Setting Successful Goals: New Year, New You!
“A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life], But the Lord directs his steps and establishes them.” Proverbs 16:9 AMP
If you’ve ever tried to make a life change, you know that figuring out where to start is often the most challenging part. Announcing “New Year, New Me” with a thoughtfully captioned post on Instagram may feel like a great start, but it is easy to get off track without clear goals to direct your steps.
The biggest hurdle of any goal setting journey is taking the first step. Your goals should be intentional and have a specific direction so that each step can lead to your desired outcome. What’s a plan without measurable steps to ensure you are on the right path to achieve your results?
As we enter 2021, we’ve put together our best and most beneficial goal-getter tips to assist YOU in setting successful goals for the new year! Are YOU ready?
Start Simple, Start Small
Remember, the quickest way to get between two places is a straight line. Cut out all the extra baggage from your goals and set yourself simple, clear steps that will make your path to success as direct as possible.
Now, it’s likely that your desired outcome is not, in fact, simple at all. For example, suppose your end goal is increased physical health. In that case, you will probably want to spend some time evaluating your diet, exercise, and sleep habits, as well as consulting with a health professional.
Don’t be afraid to commit to a big goal. Just remember to start simple and break the goal down into simple steps! Maybe one of your small steps could be calling your doctor to schedule a yearly check-up. If your doctor suggests a diet change, seek a nutritionist to assist you in your goal or research healthy meal plan options. The simple step is your decision. Don’t allow choices or voices to drive your decision. You can always adjust your action step to work for you. It is YOUR goal, so it is essential to your success that it is simple and sensible for your lifestyle.
Make It Measurable
Make your goal tangible by creating action steps that can be measured. For example, if your goal is to improve your health and wellness, your plan may include an exercise schedule or routine that will enable you to track your progress. Perhaps you would like to monitor the number of steps you take each day or the amount of time you spend exercising.
Setting specific targets allows you to track your progress and determine if any modifications need to be made to ensure you are on the right track. For instance, if you’ve scheduled time each week for meal prep, but you find you are struggling with the plan, you’ll know that you need to adjust your schedule or create another option for healthy meals for the week in order to meet your goals.
Remember, it’s OK to pivot as you move forward, and making your goals measurable allows you to monitor your progress and adjust your action steps or goals as you move forward.
Make It Relevant
It’s important to your success that your goal is relevant to YOUR journey.
They say comparison is the thief of joy—well, it can also spell the end of your goals! Make certain the goals you set are getting YOU closer to the life you want to live, not the life of someone you are following or emulating. If you allow the voices around you to tell you what you need to do or what you should want, you need to take a moment and discern exactly whose voice you are listening to when setting relevant goals. And check your motives!
I learned many years ago to ask the question, “what’s my intention with this goal?” and “what is my motive for setting this particular goal?” Are my intentions and motivations pure? Does the goal align with my values, mission statement, and life purpose?
Am I setting a goal to best another individual or to prove my worth? Is my goal the recommendation or opinion of someone else? Or does my goal honor God and fulfill my God-given purpose and calling?
To answer these questions, it’s essential you spend time in reflection and prayer.
Make It Happen!
Set those small action steps with your vision and dreams in mind. If you are not motivated to take action to reach your goal, you won’t be motivated to make the effort to take small daily steps. Eventually, you will end up getting stuck on the way to your dream or derailing altogether so stay the course – make it happen!
Don’t be afraid to give your all. Be YOU – do the best you can and give God the rest!
“For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call on Me and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear [your voice] and I will listen to you. Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and I will [free you and] gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.”
Cheering you on!
To celebrate a New Year, New You, I’m offering a 90- minute Goal Setting session for $50 (a 40% discount). For those of you goal-getters new to my goal setting coaching call, we will spend time putting your faith to action as we create a plan for your vision and dreams! To schedule your goal-setting session, you can reach out via email, and we’ll connect. Here’s to a New Year, New YOU!
