Part 2: A Guide for Setting Realistic Goals for the New Year
This blog is the second part in a two-part series about setting realistic goals for the new year. Check out the first part of the series here.
The new year is now just a few days away, making it the perfect time to start setting yourself up for success. This blog will guide you through the last two steps in our process for setting yourself up for success in 2024. Before we dive into the last two steps, let’s take a moment to review our notes from the first two steps of the guided goal-setting process.
In step one, we took some time to reflect on our opportunities, success, challenges, and areas for improvement in 2023. In step two, we went through a series of questions that identified our desired feelings and aspirations for who and how we want to be in 2024. Remember those three goal areas you identified at the end of step two? Approach the questions in step three and four with each of those areas in mind.
Step 3: Identify Possible Barriers
All is well and dandy when things are good, but what about when conditions are or become less than ideal? Without some forethought and consideration of possible areas we may fall flat, we won’t be prepared to address and respond appropriately to difficult times when the time comes. This is why so many people buy insurance, right? Jokes aside, the series of questions below will help you identify all the possible ways that things can go wrong while you’re on your way to accomplishing your goals in 2024. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers here. Being as honest as possible with yourself is important.
- Are there specific goals within your goal areas that you’d like to accomplish? What are they, and why?
- What are your fears or doubts, if any, that you have about your ability to accomplish your goals this year?
- How much time do you think you’d need to dedicate to each goal on a daily, weekly, and/or monthly basis?
- Are there skills that you’d need to acquire or hone in order to accomplish your goals? What are those skills, and how long do you think it would take to develop those skills?
- Are any of your goals longer-term that require more time than a year?
- Do any of these goals require a financial commitment? If so, how much is it and when do you think you’ll have the financial resources to make that commitment? Are you willing to make that commitment when the time comes? If yes, why do you think it will be a good investment?
- Consider how you may want to revise or refine your three goal areas as specific, actionable goals for 2024 based on your reflections in the above questions. What do your refined goals look like?
- What would you like to remind yourself of in moments when self-doubt, fears of failure, or excuses creep up on you?
By the end of this series of questions, you should be able to identify what your goals are, your fears and doubts about your ability to accomplish these goals, and the resources (time, money, skills) that you believe you need to accomplish the goal. These are all building blocks to set you up to plan for your success.
Step 4: Prioritize and Set up your Systems for Success
Realistic goal-setting needs to be supported by a system that automates some parts of the process to make it easier for you to stay committed throughout the year.
For example, in order to become a better writer in 2024, one of my goals could be to register for an in-person writing course that begins in September to improve my understanding of the mechanics of creative writing. From step 1 and 2, I found that I really enjoy spending time with other people and learn best when I engage in verbal discourse where I can observe people’s body language. That’s why when I think about my goal to become a better write in 2024, I believe taking an in-person course is important to set myself up for success. The course is offered twice a year beginning in January and September. I’ve decided to take this course in September because the course will cost about $1500, and I won’t have the means to pay for the course until Spring. I would also like to make sure I register as early as possible to secure my spot and commitment, so I will need to set myself a calendar reminder for when registration for the course opens on May 3rd. By setting the calendar reminder and identifying that I'll take a course as part of my bigger goal to become a better writer, I'm effectively identifying the specific things that I can do to set myself up for success.
In the last step of this two-part series, we invite you to go through this process yourself.
- What can you do today to best set yourself up to accomplish each of your goals (e.g., create a schedule or plan, set a reminder, or do further research)? Are there any interdependencies and how will those be addressed?
- Based on your understanding of what needs to be done, is it possible to accomplish all three of your goals this year? If you need to prioritize one or two, which ones are they?
Wishing You Success in 2024!
By reflecting on these questions and taking intentional actions, you can break through barriers and set yourself up for success in 2024. Remember, the journey towards achieving your goals is a dynamic process, and with the right mindset and strategies, you can overcome obstacles and turn your aspirations into reality. We hope that you found this guided two-part series helpful in thinking about and planning for your 2024.
Psst! If you have goals to improve your health and wellness in the new year, consider subscribing to our healthy meal plans. Automating the need to meal plan, grocery shop, and cook can free up time to focus on other priority goal areas in your life!