2020 is nearly in the rearview. It is time to look forward to 2021. What do you want for the next year of your life?
As you know, I am a big fan of setting goals and strategizing the easiest way to reach them.
If you have no destination in mind, you won't go anywhere at all.
So, in light of that fact, pick a destination for the following three areas of life:
1) Health and Fitness
2) Money
3) Bucket list experiences
Write your goals/destinations down.
Need help with ideas?
Here are some
Destination examples:
Health and fitness -- to improve upon my last triathlon time to X time.
Money: Earn 15% more than last year via sales, side gigs, investing, etc.
Bucket list: Hike the Appalachian Trail one section at a time. Finish X% of the A.T. in 2021.
Pro tip: If your three categories have goals that require complementary habits you'll be more likely to achieve them. Example -- Training to hike the A.T. will help you achieve your fitness goals and prep you for your A.T. sections. Achieving money goals always help facilitate all other goals.
Now that you know your destination, figure out the navigation.
Example Goal: earn 15% more in 2021 than in 2020.
Calculate that number. What did you earn in 2020? Multiply that by 1.15. That is your 2021 goal.
Break that amount up into fourths, and you have a clear goal for each fiscal quarter. Write that number somewhere visible (bathroom mirror, phone screen saver, etc.)
The last day of March, June, September, and December are your deadlines for reaching that amount. (Break it down to months if quarters are too long for you to sustain focus. Make it as easy for yourself as you possibly can.)
How are you going to do it? You can make your money make money. You can work more. You can work the same amount, and make your work more valuable. What other ideas for more money come to mind for you?
Break that down into clear and small tasks. Make the steps so small that they are easy.
(Click here for my blog post about learning to invest
Click here for my blog post about improving your money mindset.)
Do the same for any type of goal -- break it down into smaller goals and put the smaller goal somewhere you'll see it all the time. Losing fifty pounds by December sounds totally doable, but you still have eons of time if it is still January so you'll feel like you can put it off. The goal is so far off that you probably will put it off until it isn't doable anymore.
That is not the case for a quarterly or monthly goal.
If quarterly is too much time for your brain then break it down into monthly or even bi-monthly goals. Make the steps toward your large goal short enough for your own individual endurance, attention-span, and excitement/variety needs.
Make it as easy for yourself as you can. (Did I already mention that? I'll probably say it again.)
I like to make the along-the-way goals so small that the are almost too easy. If you want to make a million dollars, start by reaching the goal of $1000. When that seems like peanuts make it $10,000. Keep it growing until one million dollars doesn't seem all that far away.
If you want to lose twenty pounds start by losing two pounds. Two pounds at a time and you'll be at twenty pounds before you know it.
If you want to hike the Appalachian Trail, hike one day at a time; or one mile at a time. Eventually you will have hiked the whole thing and you'll look back with pride and nostalgia at your first mile on the A.T.
Make it as easy to achieve as possible
Chunk it down into bite-sized pieces. Make each step its own little victory that will eventually lead you to the big victory you have your eye on for 2021.
Do this same process for three-year goals, five-year goals, ten-year goals, and life-goals. You will create the life you want this way.
*Daniella Bozzone is a mindset and habit writer and the sole owner of DesigningDandelion shop on Etsy. She is also a private investor and passionate about financial literacy.
Follow her on Instagram at @daniellabozzoneauthor;
Facebook at Daniella Bozzone and Sassy @DesigningDandelion
Books for goal setting and achieving:
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