new year goals + action workbook.
a new year. a fresh start.
It's time for a new plan of action! Although the holiday season usually WIPES ME OUT, I feel my excitement building as the new year approaches. 2020 gave me pause, I'll be honest, but I'm typically the eternal optimist about what's to come in the new year. Personal growth, life experiences, opportunities — it's exciting not knowing what's coming! And while the unknown is thrilling, I also dig having a plan. I'm guessing you do too, sister.
Sadly, there's no Magic 8 Ball to give us a hint of what's to come. No fortune cookies with, "your new idea will be super successful — go for it!"However, what we DO have is the ability to set goals, prepare and take action.
My hubby and I have each filled out a personal goals sheet for the last four years. Nothing crazy deep, mostly small changes we would like to make to our daily routines, things we can do to personally grow, and ways to strengthen relationships with others.
The problem we've had is... we forget. We write them out and then they get shoved in a drawer when we're quickly cleaning up or they accidentally become a piece of toddler artwork. There's no follow-up or accountability. The exercise of creating our plan is always well-intentioned, but we let ourselves down by not keeping our goals in front of us all year long. Sound familiar?
So this year, I'm sharing with you a way to not only set goals but also keep them in places where you will see them. Gentle little reminders to help keep you on track.
goal setting.
We'll start with big questions like:
1| in what aspects of my life do I want personal growth?
2| what experiences do I want myself and my family to have?
3| how can I be ready when an opportunity presents itself?
From here, it's a matter of breaking each one down. It's up to you how detailed you want to get, but I will say that the more information you give, the clearer the goal becomes. And when we have a clear picture of our goal, the action steps we have to take to make it happen are more accurate.
For example, let's say your goal is to take a family vacation at the end of this coming year. You could say, "My goal is to save money for a trip to Walt Disney World." OR you can dig a little deeper and say, " My goal is to save $6,000 by October for a 7-day trip in November to Walt Disney World."
Specifying a particular dollar amount, duration and deadline gives you a clear goal to hit and a precise timeframe to accomplish it.
Another example is, "My goal is for our family to eat cleaner & healthier." But if you add more details, you can instead say, "My goal is to remove all artificial dyes and ingredients from our family meals. To help achieve this, I will make time on the weekends to meal prep clean and healthy food options."
prepare.
The next question to ask is — what do I have control over? [Read it again... that phrase is key.] Life happens, we know this. No matter how much we plan, things come up that are out of our control and it can completely derail us. So how do we prepare ourselves for the unexpected? Using the clean eating example from before, a way to be ready for a week where you weren't able to meal prep is by coming up with clean, healthy and quick foods that you can make on the fly. Grab that bag of frozen veggies, cook up some sweet potatoes, make eggs, whip up some taco meat. Have those quick meal ideas in your back pocket so you have a game plan when something happens that's out of your control.
This step is creating a fail-safe. It's how we can hold ourselves accountable on days/weeks we feel like giving in. And momma, if in that moment you get derailed for a bit, take it easy on yourself. Start again tomorrow.
take action.
Alright, here's the main event — ACTION! And let's be real... we know what needs to happen, sticking to it is usually the problem. So ask yourself, what action(s) need to be taken to accomplish my goals? When do I want to accomplish this goal by? To help hold yourself accountable, I've got you covered! As a bonus to go with your Goals + Action Workbook, you can also download the Action Reminders. After completing your chosen workbook sheets, write as many reminders as you'd like and place them where you'll see them. In your calendar, on the fridge, your bathroom mirror, your desk, anywhere!
downloads.
Goal + Action Workbook:
Action Reminders:
show me. show me.
Where did you put your Action Reminders? What goals are you working to reach?
Show me on Instagram @lifesagasblog
Cheers to a new year full of self-reflection, betterment and growth! You've got this, sister!
You’re the sweetest! You know how much I love this exercise 🥰
Girl! I was getting ready to send you an annual life goals worksheet, but you've got it covered!😘