If you’re a person who has struggled to set or keep goals in the past, or if you’re dealing with some stress or guilt around un-accomplished goals as the end of the year looms, it can be difficult to find the motivation to set goals for 2020.
But having the right frame of mind can help you set achievable goals that stretch you and don’t feel like one more thing on your to-do list.
But, did you know that the steps that you take before you even start to think through your goals can be even more important than the method and the process you use to set your goals?
Let’s dig in to how to set up an environment and a state of mind that’s effective for setting goals.
Get in the Right Environment
First, it’s important to create an environment that’s conducive to goal setting. Personally, I like to set aside a few hours, head to a sunny corner of my favorite coffee shop with a playlist of my favorite songs and my noise canceling headphones.
I dream of a day when I can escape to a fancy hotel for an overnight to do this, but for now, it’s a good second-best choice.
Other people may find their work desk keeps them focused (and has all the materials they need), while others may head to a co-working space or the library for the ultimate laser-focused environment.
Make and Set The Time
Secondly, you need to set aside some serious time to do your goal-setting. It’s important to set aside a large chunk of time to focus on your goals and not rush through goal-setting and planning.
An hour or two a day over the course of a week or so may also work, but I find that I’m the most productive when I spend 2-3 hours developing my goals, then let them ruminate for a week or so and come back and finalize them.
Don’t Go It Alone
Next, to get in the frame of mind for goal setting, you need accountability and partnership.
Likely, if you’re reading this blog post you own your own business and as a solopreneur, you’re used to setting and managing your own goals. But if you have a business partner or a partner in your personal life, it’s important to get their perspective.
- Do your goals match up?
- What can they do to help you achieve (or not hinder) your goals?
Danielle and I may each set our own goals, but when it comes to any One Woman Shop goals, I know I’ll run them by her and ask her to help hold me accountable! That way we both know that our values and plans stay in alignment and we have the support we need to accomplish goals.
If you don’t have a partner or a trusted friend (or even if you do!) a trusted mentor or business bestie can also be a great place to turn. It’s important to have someone to bounce ideas off of, review your goal outlines or drafts, and to hold you accountable when it’s time to put those goals into action.
Look Back to Look Forward
Another important factor in setting goals is reflection.
Before you can set new goals for the coming year it’s important to think about the goals that you accomplished (and maybe didn’t quite make it on!) in the current year.
I love to use the Year Compass booklet to do that, because reflection isn’t my strong suit--so working through the prompts a page at a time definitely helps me! There are a lot of great ways to reflect, but it’s an important and not-to-be-missed step.
Find Your Framework
Last, you need to understand how to set goals.
There are a lot of frameworks that you can use to be a good goal setter, and you can definitely find 1,000 resources on how to set a SMART goal.
We aren’t going to prescribe a method for you here, because there’s so many good resources out there, including one that you’ll want to check out a couple of paragraphs down...
As a goal setting nerd, two of my best tips are:
- Set up the areas of your life where you’d like to have goals, and then make sure the goals you set address at least one of those areas, and each area has a goal. For me, I like to set goals around work and career growth, business development, finances, personal relationships, self-care, and family. There may be others that speak to you, but defining those areas will help you set goals well.
- Find a framework and process that works for you. A few years ago, I was introduced to Megan Flatt, and the way she teaches and works through the goal setting process really resonated with my life and my goals. Working with her and her goal-setting method has really changed how I see goal-setting and the process that I go through to set my goals.
If you are interested in diving into goals, learning about how to set better goals, or just want that dedicated time and accountability that I talked about today, we do have a masterclass coming up with Megan on Monday, December 9 at 2 p.m. EST/ 11 a.m. PST!
We still have a few spots left and would love to have you join us. You can learn more about her goal setting strategy and the masterclass at this page, and at $49, this is such a steal.
You’ll leave feeling motivated and in the right frame of mind, ready to start 2020 and the new year with a bang!
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