Annual Goal Setting

I don't know about you, but I haven't had a New Year's Resolution in ages. It just seemed like I was destined to fail. I would set very lofty goals and would have zero plan on how I was actually going to achieve them. The "plan" was completely unreasonable. By mid-January, it would have been abandoned and I've have marked myself as a failure for the year. Thank goodness for personal growth!

A quote I admire is "How do you eat a whale? One bite at a time." This concept can be expressed in numerous ways. The key here is consistency. Small actions accumulate into significant achievements. Never give up. Begin with small steps, but make sure to start.

Setting goals should enhance your life and add value. Achieving a balanced life is what makes it truly great. There are 7 different categories that you can focus on.

Life requires a good strategy, like a game of Chess.

7 Categories for Well-Balanced Goals

1. Physical: Set a goal for you health and fitness. This could be related to sleep, healthy eating, exercise, drinking less alcohol, losing weight, gaining strength or cooking/eating more meals at home.

2. Intellectual: This category is for learning and personal growth. An online course, a community course, reading a self-help book.

3. Career: Set a goal for your professional development. This could include getting a promotion, find a new job, starting a side hustle or taking classes toward a degree or certificate.

4. Social: This category is about relationships and social life. If you are an introvert, this might be a challenging category for you. Schedule lunch with a friend or group of friends every month or every quarter. Join a book club, or knitting club. You could take up pickleball. The possibilities are endless and you might realize that you can knock out another area of goals at the same time.

5. Financial: This one is my personal favorite. Paying off debt, saving up a 3-6 month emergency, saving 15% of your income to put towards retirement, paying off your mortgage, funding your kids college, giving with irrational generosity.

6. Family: Setting goals for your family life could be simply having meals together a certain day of the week. Making weekly phone calls to those who don't live close by. Making vacation plans.

7. Spiritual: Setting goals for your connection to a higher power. As a Christian, attending church services, completing a daily devotional, serving the youth ministry or leading a small group are all wonderful options.

The key to attaining your goals is simple, you just need to be SMART. This method is proven and effective. You will set better goals, measure your progress, stay focused on your objectives, and establish a clear workflow.

Steps in SMART goal setting:

1. Specific: The goal clearly states what will be done.

2. Measurable: You can use data to determine if you've met the goal.

3. Achievable: You have the skills and resources to accomplish the goal.

4. Relevant: The goal aligns with your values.

5. Time-bound: the goal has a deadline.

If this feels overwhelming, I encourage you to choose one category and set a goal for a week or a month. With this short time frame, you can identify any necessary adjustments for your next round of goal setting. Now go!