What I love about the start of the year is how excited everyone is to "start fresh" and tackle their dreams. Granted, that's before reality sets in.
BUT! You can change that! You CAN make your goals happen!
Nothing changes in your life unless you change it.
You can't just set goals, you have to plan and SMART goals:
Specific
Measurable
Actionable
Realistic
Time-bound
What does this look like? Here's an example for me.
Goal: I'm going to save $7000 this year.
It is specific. I'm saving $7000, not just I want to save money.
It is measurable. I can see how close I am to my goal and how I'm tracking because I have an end point to measure against.
It is actionable. I have set up a recurring money move that pays to my savings first. I have also included other ways to bring in money (selling items around my house I no longer need). These are all action steps to help me achieve the goal.
It is realistic, based on my budget, moving things around and cutting certain items out. But if I said I wanted to save $30,000 this year...It wouldn't be achievable, based on my budget.
It is time-bound. I have 1 year to complete this goal.
Here are some more examples.
I'm going to pay off my highest credit card of $27,000 by June 1, 2022 vs. I'm going to pay off all debt.
I'm going to lose 30 pounds by my 35th birthday vs. I'm going to lose weight this year.
I'm going to meet with a goal coach by the end of January to help keep me accountable to making progress on my goals vs. I haven't been able to do it before but I probably can this time.
Remember, you can't be mad at the results you didn't get, by the work you didn't put in.
It will be hard work. But it's not impossible. And with the right tools, and right person behind you, it can even be FUN!
Lastly, think about how you'll feel when you achieve your goal, how will you feel? What does it look like?
For example, after someone achieves their goal of paying off their credit card, they will feel weightless because they no longer have a debt, or they paid off their largest amount owed and feel less anxiety. Someone may feel more energized after losing weight.
What are your SMART goals you're going to attack? Be sure to put them in the comments so I can cheer you on.