Heading into 2020

Happy New Year!!

As I sit here this evening, a little under the weather, I decided to use this time to reflect on the past year and to meditate on my goals for the coming year and coming decade.

I fear that we all can as one time or another look back and feel that we have fallen into the trap of letting life "happen to us" instead of living intentionally and with a purpose.

With that in mind, I wanted to discuss some goal setting tips as we head into the new year.

#1 - Make sure your goals are REALISTIC This is probably the most obvious tip. We hear it all the time - the proper way to set goals using SMART goals - specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time sensitive.

The reason for this is to really narrow down your goals. It is easy to say "I'm going to save money this year." But what does that look like? If at the end of the year, you have $20 more in your bank account than the year before, did you achieve your goal?

Now if you said "I am going to have $2,000 in my Wells Fargo Savings Account by October 2020." That is a much more measurable goal. In October, you will be able to say YES I reached this goal or NO I did not and I need to reassess.

#2 - WRITE DOWN your goals

How many of you have set goals in Dec or Jan and never looked at them again? Do you even remember your goals come June or July?

Write down your goals on paper (preferably) or a white board, vision board, etc. where you will see it on a daily or weekly basis. Glancing at these goals and reading through them on a regular basis will, even just subconsciously remind you to continue working towards those goals. It will also remind you on a daily basis to live intentionally. Everyday should get you at least a smidge closer to your goals.

#3 - Know your MOTIVATION

You WILL have bad days. You may even have bad weeks or bad months. When you read through your lofty goals on a tough day... what will keep you going? What will keep you motivated to keep pushing?

You must have a motivation or a "why" that is bigger and grander than the roller coaster of life. If you only exercise when you feel like it or when you're in the mood... if you only eat right when it's convenient... if you only save money when there is nothing you want to buy... you will not be successful. If you can push through on the tough days, you WILL be successful. Find out your "why"

When the alarm goes off at 5:00AM, think about your health not how tired you are. Think about how you feel at the end of the workout - accomplished and energized - not how comfortable your bed feels at the moment.

Mindset and motivation are KEY components to pushing through when times get tough.

#4 Do a mid-year CHECK IN

Accountability is also a benefit when setting goals. Consider sitting down with a spouse, parents, best friend, coworker (or me!) and telling them what your big goals are this year.

Set a reminder in your phone once a week to check in with yourself and reassess your progress. Have you been moving towards your goal? Regressing? Sitting still?

Also set a reminder in your calendar to have a mid-year check in. Maybe include your accountability partner. See how far you've gotten and adjust the goals accordingly. If you see you will not reach your goals by the end of the year, instead of getting discouraged change the goal! If you are closer to achieving a goal than you thought, go ahead a make it a little more challenging!

#5 Set up a routine that leads to success

Let's imagine two scenarios:

1 - You startle awake and look around the room to see the sun is already up. You look over and your alarm is going off for the fourth time - you snoozed AGAIN and didn't even realize you were doing it. You went to sleep WAY too late and couldn't wake up this morning. You had plans to exercise and make your lunch but once again not going to happen... you rush out of bed, hurry to get ready for work. No time for breakfast, coffee, or even to catch your breath... What a way to start the day, right?

2 - You hear the subtle tone of your "nature sounds" alarm going off. You open your eyes and take a deep breath of fresh air while stretching your arms and focusing your mind on the day at hand. You look at the clock and it's 5:00AM but somehow you feel well rested. After all, you did get to bed at 9:00PM expecting the early wake up call. You walk downstairs and start your cup of coffee and open up your yoga app to get a good morning workout in before the kids wake up...

You see the difference? It's amazing what the right morning (and therefore bedtime) routine can do to set the tone for your entire day and the day for the week, for the month and the year.

Goal setting and daily practices are the key to a successful and purposeful life.

Set a few goals this year - achievable yet challenging.

Let's see what 2020 brings!