Cliche and predictable this may be, the new year is everyone's chance for a fresh start! It's the perfect setting to rise again, create something, do what you've always wanted to do This is the period where everyone is full of hope and aspirations. Well... why not make those aspirations concrete by setting your 2017 goals? :)
I've always been a fan of setting goals for myself. It's a way for me to evaluate my progress, see what I need to work on, and keep my life on track. To live aimlessly is a sad way to live, don't you think?
As someone who has been making new year's resolutions since... ever, I can say my goals right now are definitely better than the last set of goals I've made. Throughout the years, I figured out that one of the reasons why I cannot achieve some of my goals was because some of these were not concrete enough. Partner my non-concrete goals with my lazy, stubborn self then you've got a recipe for disaster -- a Zero Goal Progress Monster (I hope I am kidding but I am not lol)!
In my 2017 goal-setting session, I did several steps before AND after I have chosen my goals. Below are the steps I took and I hope these can help you with your 2017 goal-setting as well!
1.) Mind mapping
(just a sample I made, not my actual goals)
Before choosing my 2017 goals, I first created a mind map that illustrated the aspects of my life that I would like to focus on for the year. From my example above, I first wrote down the aspect (e.g. business, financial, skills) then under that were related ideas that I could base my goal on. Mind mapping also helped dissect all these ideas in my head and made sure that I wouldn't miss out on anything.
2.) List down specific and measurable goals
(just a sample I made, not my actual goals)
From the ideas I got from my mind map, I then proceeded to writing down specific and measurable goals. Still dividing it per aspect, I put a deadline and quantifiable measures (if applicable) for the actual goals. Doing this will help me check my progress and will motivate me to work on my goals as often as possible.
3.) Create systems for your goals
(just a sample I made, not my actual goals)
So I now have 2017 goals! Now what? The next step is to create a system for my goals. A system is like the schedule I'll follow while pursuing those goals. The goal is the big picture while the system is the series of steps I'll do in order to achieve that goal. This is very important because it gives concrete actions and breaks down you goal into bits and pieces, which makes it less overwhelming.
Please also read this article. This is where I got the idea of creating systems.
Please also read this article. This is where I got the idea of creating systems.
4.) Find an overall theme
(my actual theme for 2017)
I've been giving themes to every year since 2015. Amazing 2015, Fulfilling 2016 and now, Mindful 2017. For me, the theme is important because it is what guides me as I pursue my goals. Last year, #fulfilling2016 pushed me to do more things that will, well, fulfill my soul. This year, my theme is to be mindful -- to focus on the now, live in the moment, to appreciate every minute more. I'll be having a separate blog entry for this so watch out for that!
The next steps are visualization methods which (for me) are essential tools to not lose sight of the big picture. When my everyday goal-pursuing life gets to me, all I need to do is visualize myself living my dream life then I'll feel that surge of productivity again.
5.) Create a vision board
To further concretize my goals, I updated my vision board. It's really inspiring to look at it every day and to literally see what it will look like when I achieve all these aspirations.
6.) Write a vivid vision
For me, a vision board is not enough. I also wrote down a vivid vision which describes (as accurately as possible) what my dream life is like. My vivid vision went beyond my 2017 goals because it talked about my actual dream life.
7.) COMMIT
The last step is to commit myself to my goals. All the previous steps are nothing if I cannot motivate myself to actually do something lol. Thankfully, I feel more positive and determined now! The new year is really making me oh so inspired :) Probably because it has a 7 on it and 7 is my favorite number lolol. I know there will be days where in being lazy is such an easy thing to do but isn't it comforting how we have the power to not let this demotivation control us? We can choose to be productive anytime~ Also, honestly, I'm feeling positive about this new year and this is the perfect feeling to create progress with my goals! Let's keep this attitude up!
