Are you planning ahead for the new year? science says you should!
According to science there are few things you can do to stick to your goals for the new year. We all know how that goes. We have really good intentions in January, but come February… they are all gone! Planning realistically will definitely help, but what does that mean?
It’s that time of the year again. The holiday season is quickly approaching and that only means one thing: 2022 is almost over! Can you believe we are in December? I can’t! It is warm and sunny in Kenya, so that’s definitely not helping. But wether we are ready or not, the end of another year is quickly approaching.
I don’t know about you, but I recently started to plan my year ahead and come up with my goals for the next year. I also take the time to review the past year. And for some reason, it has helped me to achieve my goals and be more productive! Why? It turns out that writing down your goals helps you accomplished them. But writing your goals down is still too vague. So, I am going to help you with a few steps to follow. You also download my free quarterly planner and year in review!
Here we go:
# 1 : Reflect about the past year.
Start by reflecting on your accomplishments for the next year, big or small and take a moment to acknowledge how far you have become. It might seem trivial but it helps to put things in perspective. There might be some things you wanted to accomplish and you didn’t manage and that’s ok. But it’s good recognize also areas for improvement.
# 2: Find your ‘why’.
Understand your why. By that I mean, think about the motivation behind your goals. Why do you want to accomplished them? When you have a reason to accomplish your goals is a lot easier to maintain your motivation through adversities and tough times.
#3: Big goals but also realistic goals.
You have to dream big to get out of your comfort zone but the dreams have to be realistic. If you step out an unrealistic goal you will be disappointed and more likely to give up when it doesn’t happen.
#4: Break down goals in actionable steps.
Break down your goals into actionable steps means that you have a specific plan to follow with small tasks laid out. This helps not only with overwhelm but it also sets you up for success. Once you accomplish a small tasks you move into the next because you know exactly what it is. So rather than saying, I am going to make an x amount of money, lay out the steps that will get you there, I am going to create 1 collection each quarter, pitch to 3 companies every month, learn a new skill,… The more specific you can get, the better.
#5: Write down your goals.
Write them down. Trust me. It’s about accountability. If you don’t write them down from the beginning you will likely forget them within a few weeks or months.
#6: Keep your goals visible.
Not only write them down but keep them visible. Keep referring to them so you stay on track. Write them down and put them away in a drawer and you will also forget about them.
# 7: Find a support group.
Your family and friends might not always be understanding of your dreams and goals. It truly helps to find a group of people like minded artists or creatives that understand your struggles, your dreams and are here to cheer you on all the way! If you need a group check out:
# 8: Reward yourself.
Dont’ forget to reward yourself along the way. Big and small goals, all of them count. You could reward yourself with a walk in nature, take a class, buy supplies, a massage, dinner out, or just a dance! But do celebrate!!
#9: Create healthy routines.
Taking care of your self is part of your business. I used to think that I didn’t have time to exercise that I could skip lunch. But it turns out that by doing that I am hurting my business, because without my health and mental wellbeing my business can’t and won’t thrive! I put myself first now and I take time for myself when I need it. It turns out that I am a lot more productive and way more motivated for taking those 30 minutes or that one hour for myself. So, exercise, eat well, sleep, and rest! It’s all part of your business.
#10: Slow progress is good progress.
We have all seen people talking about their success happening overnight. But the reality is that it takes a lot of hard work and time. So, just know, that it takes time to learn, to improve, … to succeed. You will get there, all the small steps will get your there one day and in the meantime, enjoy the journey! Don’t forget to have fun!! It’s your dream!!
Now it’s time for YOU (yes, you!) to set some time aside and plan those 2023 goals. To make it easier I created a quarterly planner for you. Why quarterly? you might wonder. Because I feel it created less pressure and you have 3 months to accomplish your goals. We know life happens and sometimes, well, we just get busy with other things!
The planner comes with detailed instructions on how to use it but mainly every quarter you want to have a Top Priority (something that is really going to help advance your business), a “Dare to” (because we always put off the scary stuff), and something to learn (to keep evolving and staying current).
A few things to keep in mind:
Some big goals might take more than a quarter so schedule enough time, keep it realistic, do the research and plan for the proper amount of time.
Don’t skip the learning process, it might feel like it takes time away from the business but it’s an investment. Whether is photography, marketing, learning a new computer program, … do it! Set sometime aside and give yourself permission to grow.
I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to ‘dare to’ to try something new every quarter. It keeps getting you outside of your comfort zone and no matter how it turns out, you will always learn something from it. And learning from experience it’s so valuable.
Let me know in the comments if you found this blog post and the quarterly planner useful. Also, feel free to share what do you do to stay on track?
Thank you for being here and reading all the way,
Ana
2023 Quarterly Planner by Moshito Design
Download now by clicking on the image to the left.