We have less than 2 weeks to go in 2018. While busy getting ready for holiday gifts, food, and other year-end matters, we must also take some time to reflect on 2018 and start making plans for 2019.
Last year, I wrote 9 Things You Should Do To Achieve to Your Goals in 2018, which shared ideas for cracking with 2018 ASAP.
Most people set new year resolutions. Most people only stick to the resolutions for a few weeks before they give up.
This post is going to focus on how to set goals you can follow through and stick with till the end of 2019 and beyond.
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How to Set Goals and Achieve Them in 2019
Reflect on the Past Year
Reflect on the past year. This is the best time of year to do this. What worked? What stressed the heck out of you? What didn’t go according to plan?
What wonderful things happened organically that were not part of your plan at all? What did you miss along the way? Note it all down in your handy little planner.
Ask Yourself if You Can Still Achieve 2018 Goals?
Are there still one or two things you can achieve before the end of 2018? Even though there are less than 2 weeks left in 2018, it is still possible to hit a few milestones.
Just a few days ago, I opened my store with an amazing flagship product HERE. I also launched another free mini-course.
You can check out the free mini-course, Easy Guide to Money Management HERE.
I worked on both of these goals simultaneously in December with a determination to finish before the end of the year.
I managed to achieve both these goals while also managing all my other websites and projects.
As I write this, I am working on something else that I hope to finish before Dec 31.
I don’t know if I’ll achieve it but I’m going to try my very best without compromising on eggnog and other festivities of course :).
Start Setting 2019 Goals
Get a hold of your planner and start setting 2019 goals with 2018 goals as a backdrop.
Remember the things that didn’t happen as you planned in 2018 may need to be carried over into 2019.
One of the best ways to set any kind of goals is by keeping the phrase, SMART, in mind. I advocated for that last year as well. What does SMART mean?
- S – Specific
- M – Measurable
- A – Achievable/Attainable
- R – Realistic
- T – Timely
Examples of Personal Goals
For example, setting a goal like “I want to be the President of my company before the end of 2019” is not very SMART if you haven’t done any work towards it up to this point.
A more reasonable goal is outlining the things you need to do to position yourself to become the President of your company.
Outlining these things such as management training, upgrading skills, building relationships etc are SMART goals.
Another example is paying off debt. Do you want to be debt-free before the end of 2019? How will you achieve this? What are the steps involved?
Break 2019 Goals into Smaller Chunks
Once you’ve set your goals for 2019, it’s time to break them into smaller chunks. These smaller chunks are still part of the SMART goals.
Following the previous example, what specific management training are you going to undergo?
What specific skills are going to be upgraded or acquired? How will they be upgraded or acquired?
What are the processes involved in making all these things happen? What is the timeline for achieving all these things?
This process can be therapeutic and stimulating for you. You could add a glass of mulled wine as a companion in the process.
How to Stick to Your Goals
Now that you’ve set your goals and created a plan, how are you going to see these plans through? What is going to stop you from bailing out after the first few weeks of 2019?
This is where a vision board comes into play. I have been using vision boards to make it happen for myself since 2011.
I’ve paid off debt, achieved personal and professional goals, found life balance and so much more all through vision boards.
You can get started with creating vision boards HERE. One of the resources I’m working on for 2019 includes vision boards.
Enjoy Your Achievements
When I achieved the milestone of opening my Shopify store and launching Easy Guide to Money Management before the end of 2018, I went out for a very nice dinner with my friend as my reward.
I also spent two days after the dinner being a bum because I needed to re-set and recuperate after so much work.
It’s important to reward and celebrate yourself after every achievement no matter how little.
Take the time to appreciate your effort and absorb the implications of your achievement (s).
Be Flexible and Adaptable to Your Plans
Be flexible and adaptable to your plans. Just because you’ve determined something at the beginning of 2019 doesn’t mean it cannot change before the end of the year.
Sometimes, a goal that looks practicable at the beginning of the year might look ridiculous within a few months.
Check in to yourself as per your plans every few months and identify if anything needs to be updated, changed or removed completely.
Be open to reworking the plan (s) if necessary. There’s no shame in that. If we did not fail, we would never learn anything.
Enjoy Yourself
Personal goal setting and planning isn’t school neither is it an exam. It’s all about you, for you.
You should have fun with it and enjoy yourself in the process. Remember that at every point.
You can have a look at my 2018 vision board HERE. I will be reviewing that in the first week of 2019 and also launching my 2019 vision board.
Happy Holidays everyone and I wish you the very best!
This post may contain affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you purchase through those links. Read full disclosure HERE.
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