Goals for the New Year

source: cliff1066

I DON’T make New Year’s resolutions. They are just silly to me.

However, I’m a HUGE advocate for setting goals — and I honestly DO set goals for almost every area of my life {business, home, personal, finances, etc. etc.}

Goals are so much different than resolutions because goals are thought-out, achievable, planned, and organized… not just something you casually make up at the stroke of midnight on Dec. 31.

I’m also a stickler for writing my goals down — either on paper, or on my blog. I find that if my goals are written, I’m so much more likely to acheieve them — or at least get really close.

So as another New Year is just around the corner, now is a great time to start thinking about specific and acheiveable goals you want to set for yourself in the coming months.

Here are a few categories to get you started:

Career Goals:

• Do you want to move up in your job? — Write down your qualifications and set a time to talk with your boss.

• Do you want to find another job? — Start thinking about what your “dream job” would look like. Write down what you want from your job, start looking for options, update your resume, and prepare for interviews.

• Do you want to start your own business? — Write out a business plan and talk with someone who’s already done what you want to do.

• Do you want to quit your job to be home with family? — Talk with your spouse to see how this might work and then write out your plan.

Fitness/Health Goals:

• Would you like to lose weight? — Write down the specific number of pounds per month you want to lose.

• Do you want to eat healthier? — Research and write down what foods you will and will not bring into your home.

• Do you want to go “green”? — Write down one thing you will do each month to live a more green life style.

Financial Goals:

• Do you want to save up for a large purchase? — Write down the total amount and then break it down by month. Then sit down and figure out if you’ll realistically be able to save that much in a year’s time.

• Do you want to lower your grocery bill?  – Start reading deal and coupon blogs to figure out their secrets. The spend time writing out your weekly shopping lists, writing out your meal plans, clipping coupons, etc.

• Do you want to add to your retirement account?  – Talk with your financial adviser and set up a automatic deposit each month. It could be as little as $25 a month, but you might be surprised how quickly that money adds up!

• Do you want to take a family vacation this coming spring or summer?  – Plan out the details now and then figure out how much you’ll have to save each month to make it happen.

Family Goals:

• Would you like to have more quality family time? — Schedule a “family meeting” and write down possible ideas for “family time”. Plan one fun night each week — and maybe you can even take turns letting your children or spouse plan the night’s activities!

• Do you want to have a better marriage? — attend a support group, counseling, or book you and your spouse on a marriage retreat.

• Are you starting to think about having children? or adopting children? — Talk with your spouse about their feelings, and then figure out how you could make it work financially, etc.

Personal Goals:

• Do you want to read X-number of books this year? — Write down that list and then cross them off as you complete each book

• Do you want to learn a new hobby or skill? — Sign up for private lessons or a group class. Check out books from the library or watch YouTube videos to learn more about it.

• Do you want to do more volunteer work?  – Think about what you enjoy doing and what you feel passionate about and then look for organizations like that who need volunteers.

• Do you want to get more organized or better manage your time?  – Take 10 or 15 minutes each day to organize one small thing in your home. Stop procrastinating. Get up 30 minutes earlier so you have more time.

Like I mentioned earlier, setting goals is SO much different than making a silly New Year’s resollution {which you will most likely break within a few weeks}.

Take some time this week to really stop and think about what goals you want to set for yourself in the coming months and then write them down! You might be surprised at how many of them you actually achieve!

What is one of your goals for next year?

Andrea Dekker

Andrea Dekker is a professional organizer and founder of Simple Organized Living. Her goal is to motivate and encourage others to “create their best life” through simplicity and organization.

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook