"It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.”
- Benjamin E. Mays
If you have any large goals that you'd like to work on, such as starting a business or running a marathon, it can seem very daunting to even begin. Most of the time, we keep these lofty goals in our head, but we don't know when or how to begin working on them. Many people never even start some of the things they'd like to do because they simply don't get started.
One of the best ways to conquer a large goal is to break it down into small pieces. It may seem obvious, but it can be hard to visualize for a lot of people. By using this year long planner, you can map out an entire year of self improvement in one page. This way, you can slowly but surely move from where you're at to where you want to be, and there will always be a clear next step for you to take.
At the top, you can fill out your "what" and your "why". Anyone will say that they want to make more money, lose 10 pounds, or finally clean out the basement. However, they fail because they don't have enough intrinsic motivation to complete their project. Figuring out WHY you want to do these things, how it will make your life better, will help you push through the low enthusiasm for a project that comes after that initial burst of motivation. You might not actually find that reading a certain amount of books or losing weight truly fulfils you - and that's FINE! Financial stability will help you become more independent and help you withstand emergencies better, reducing stress. Losing weight will help you feel better in your body, have less aches and pains, and make you less susceptible to illness. Clearing out the basement will give you more space for something you would really enjoy, like a playroom or a home gym. It makes your home feel more inviting, and reduces the time you spend cleaning or looking for things. Having a solid WHY will keep you motivated.
Check in each month with what you have accomplished and where you may have slipped off. Restructure your goals as necessary. Keeping things realistic will help you not give up on yourself.
Here are some ideas for structuring your goals:
- PAYING OFF DEBT/SAVING MONEY: Break down the dollar amount that you'd like to commit to your financial goal into monthly or bimonthly amounts. Do some money challenges throughout the year, such as a no shopping month or selling things you don't use to make more money for your goals.
- FITNESS GOALS: Starting from your current fitness level, gradually increase your fitness goals each month - whether it be running further, lifting heavier, or increasing time spent working out each week.
- CREATING A SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE: Make a goal of posts per month you'd like to meet. Come up with ideas for series you could do, or find ways to boost your reach, like joining an engagement pod or going to networking events.
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