Whether it’s January 1 or the middle of July, I LOVE goal setting!! There’s just something so rewarding – and I really, really think something so vital – about putting your hopes and dreams down on paper and then making a realistic action plan to help you achieve them! (Like some guy named Napoleon Hill once said, “A goal is a dream with a deadline!”)
This year, I was so pumped when my boyfriend’s sister got me Lara Casey’s ‘Cultivate What Matters’ Powersheets for Christmas! My sister got them for herself too, and I’d already been eyeing them on Instagram for myself as well, so I was definitely excited to receive them!
Currently just a few weeks in to using them, the Powersheets have already been an awesome tool for allowing me to reflect on what worked and what didn’t in 2017, what’s important to me in 2018 and beyond, and what steps I can take to live out what matters most to me! (PS – as I’m re-reading what I’ve written, this totally sounds sponsored, but I can assure you, it’s totally not. I’ll always note if it is! I just really love goal setting, and I’m really liking the Powersheets!)
One thing that the Powersheets helps you do is – and what I think is MAJOR GOAL SETTING TIP #1! – break down each big goal into smaller, specific, action items! Using the Powersheets, you set your 2018 goals, but each month, you also set monthly, weekly, and daily highly-specific, actionable goals that help toward the bigger overall mission.
Along those same lines, I distinctly recall being taught in a number of my college public relations campaign classes to always ensure that any goals were specific, time-bound, and measurable or S.M.A.R.T. Setting S.M.A.R.T. goals would be my MAJOR GOAL SETTING TIP #2! S.M.A.R.T. stands for “Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Results-based. Time-bound.”
I’ve put both those goal setting tips into practice to put together my 2018 goals (which I am super pumped about achieving this year)!! For each category of my life that I want to focus on, I started broad with a pretty non-measurable, non-S.M.A.R.T. goal or idea, and then broke out specific, smaller goals that would indicate that I was achieving that bigger picture idea.
2018 Goals!! (side goal: maybe cool it with all of the exclamation points everywhere)
Broad Goal #1: Excel in my career.
- Not going to go into specifics on the actionable goals on this one, but one of my daily goals this month in working toward this is…
- Daily goal: Picking three major ‘must do’ tasks each day and completing them as the first priority of the day, rather than just getting caught in the day-to-day minutiae. Majorly helpful. Highly recommended.
Broad Goal #2: Grow my blog.
- Again, not going into the specifics on this one, but a weekly goal may or may not have to do with improving my blogging frequency and consistency…
Broad Goal #3: Get jacked!! Jk. Kind of.
- More specifically, I want to get back to a specific weight-range where I know my body sits most comfortably (but I’m also not focused solely on a number because muscle #gains), and I want to improve my athletic performance and fitness. I’ve set some pretty specific goals as to fitness accomplishments I want to reach and changes in myself I want to see. To work toward them, this month I’ve put into place some easily achievable action items:
- Weekly goal: Work out six days/week with three days/week of running/cardio and three days/week of HIIT, CrossFit, or lifting.
- Daily goal: Hit my daily macro goal.
Broad Goal #4: Adhere to set budget and financial plan.
- This one is pretty much already a specific monthly, daily, and weekly goal in itself. For the month, I’ve just mapped out specifics of how much I want to be saving, how much I need for the necessities, and how much I can blow on horses and excessive dog toys for Pumba. One of the things that I love about the Powersheets is that it even allows me to check off each day that I adhere to my daily goals like ‘budget adhered to’…or to leave it unchecked to remind me of the extra money I spent probably on new breeches or something…
Those are four of my big areas of focus for 2018, but I’ve also set goals for my spiritual growth – centered around spending more time with God and in the Bible, my riding ‘career’ (is that the term you use when you’re an amateur who just wants to show in the Low Adults?), and my relationships (boyfriend, friendships, family, etc.).
Semi-related aside!: If you’re still looking for a planner to keep track of 2018 life or to complement your Powersheets, might I totally recommend Emily Ley’s Simplified Planner or an Anchored Press planner!? (I’m a majorly big fan of the Anchored Press Daily Planner!) Or if you’re a 27-year-old who still loves using the same Lilly Pulitzer planners she’s been using since high school/college *cough*me*cough* they’re also highly recommended!
(Also, I had to use this picture because can we talk about how tan my knee looks for a very pale white girl!? lol Thank you, Loving Tan! Also not sponsored, but dang, I’ve gotta contact them about being an affiliate or something because I’m powering through their tanner and love it!)
Now happy goal setting and goal achieving!!! 😀 😀
