Happy almost New Year! Since it’s the last day of 2017, I know I’m not the only one thinking about setting goals for the new year. But I’m not about the classic “New Year’s Resolutions” thing. Because tbh I think those are the kind of goals people fail at.

I’m much more into setting GOOD goals… ones that aim for progress even if I don’t complete them perfectly each time.  I’d rather work little by little and be further than I was before, than try to take on too much at once and fall flat on my face. Anybody else?!

So I bought this incredible new goal planner for 2018 (not sponsored in any way, I’m just a huge fan) and this past week I’ve been working through the exercises in the planner that help you set your goals for the year. And it’s been so amazing so far that I was inspired to write this post!

I’ve already learned so much about goal setting that I had to share. So here are three ways you can set some good goals for the new year and actually follow through on them!

3 ways to set good goals for the new year

1. Think baby steps

Maybe you’re like me – I’m someone who’s very slow at progress. I’m not spontaneous, I’m indecisive, and I take forever to finish things. I’m learning that I grow the most when I focus on taking the TINIEST baby steps at a time towards a goal.

This is my number one tip, and it’s taken me like 24 years to learn this (haha). But tiny bits of progress acutally ADD UP! What goals do you continue to put off because of how long they would take? Is there anything that seems like you’ll never reach it, so you don’t even try? What would take you an entire year (or more) to accomplish?

Take a second to think about how fast this year has gone by. Now think about the next year, and how fast it’ll be before we’re at the end of 2018. That time is going to pass, whether you’re working towards a new goal or not. Either way, it’s going to fly by. You never know how far you can be in a year if you choose to start taking baby steps right now!

2. Start big, work small

When choosing your goals, start with the big picture, and then work down to smaller steps. Think about who and where you want to be a year from now. What are your biggest values and what areas of your life do you want to grow in the most (like faith, family, friendships, work, health, money, etc.)?

Write down a handful of big goals, but make sure they’re realistic and concrete. Then break them down into smaller pieces, and spread those out into quarterly steps. Then break them down again into monthly tasks.

From there you can focus on a month at a time. Break your goals down AGAIN, so for each month you have weekly tasks, and then figure out what baby steps you need to take each day.

Start with just January, and then focus on the next month at the end of the last one. This is a great way to put some small actions onto your daily to-do list and check something off each day! When the goal is in bite-size pieces, it’s not nearly so daunting. You’ll be amazed how much progress and momentum you can create in a month. And before you know it, the months will be flying by and the progress will start adding up!

3. Give yourself grace

Last and final tip: GIVE YOURSELF GRACE! This my friend, might be the most important step. I guarantee you won’t reach every single goal you set out to accomplish this year. And you’ll for sure miss a day, or two, or three, or maybe more. You have to remember that it’s okay. But you can’t let yourself give up! Always aim for progress.

Before the year starts, take time to schedule a day of reflection at the end of each month. Write it down on your calendar! Use those times to check in with your goals and refresh them if you need to. What did you accomplish this month? What did you completely bomb? Have your goals changed? Do you need to readjust next month? Maybe you’ll have to slow down into even smaller baby steps, but just don’t stop.

Just start

Most people who set new year’s resolutions give up before January is even over. By December they might not even remember what their goals were for that year! And when they set out to make new goals, they write the same ones down for another year, and then another year passes and nothing ever changes. Well guys, I refuse to let that happen.

If you find yourself dissatisfied with any areas of your life, the great news is that you can use those negative emotions as fuel to change and grow! Being unhappy is sometimes healthy, because it’s a clue that change needs to happen. Without passion we’ll never have the motivation to actually DO something!

How do you plan to set good goals for the new year? Leave a comment and weigh in with your thoughts. We can keep each other accountable to reach our goals and have an amazing 2018! 🎊

Xo,

Becka

P.S. – 4 productivity tips, and 3 amazing benefits of journaling regularly!