#Setting Goals

[agirlwithglam]

S.M.A.R.T goals:

How to set and achieve your goals

What does SMART stand for?

S - specific. don't just set vague goals like "i wanna get fit" or "i wanna get abs". how are you gonna know when/ where to start? if you want to get fit: your goal could be "go to the gym for 30 mins everyday" or "i want to run 5k in under 30 mins". whatever works for you. some other examples: -> if your big goal is to get high marks on your next test: your "mini" goals/ steps should be to study everyday for at least 30-60mins. -> if your big goal is to get money/ become rich: your steps/ mini goals should be to save $___ daily first. and also figure out a way you can make a mini business/ get a job.

M - measurable. make sure that your goals are measurable- meaning that you should be able to track them. some examples: -> if your goal is to read more: then create or find a habit tracker or something so everyday when you read, you can mark it down for that day. ! recommended resource: James Clear's habit tracker journal- you can find it on amazon.

A - Achievable keep your goals realistic and attainable. if you know you dont have the time/ energy to read a whole book in 1 week, dont do it- otherwise you'll get easily discouraged. the goldilocks principle: don't make it too easy, where it doesn't give you a challenge, but don't make it too hard either, otherwise you'll get easily discouraged.

R - Relevant basically a WHY. why do you want/ need to accomplish this goal? have a motivation which drives you. make sure your goal is relevant to you in some sort of way. example: -> if you want to learn a language such as spanish, why do you wanna learn it? because you want to travel to Spain one day? to be able to communicate with someone? even if the purpose is as simple as "wanting to be bilingual cus it makes me feel cool and impressive" - if that motivates you, then go ahead!

T - time bound your goals need to have some sort of deadline or urgency attached to it- otherwise you could take all the time you want to start and procrastinate as much as you want. having a deadline for the goal will motivate you to take action sooner, than later.

how to use SMART goals effectively:

decide on the goal. (something that you actually need/ want to accomplish.)

break it down into smaller steps. (very small. so small that you can start working on whatever it is NOW.) you want to get high marks on your test? lets break it down. study 30 mins everyday -> walk to desk -> get material out -> identify what you need to study -> find your weaker topics & write it out -> create a planner or smth -> start studying. // need help? find videos online, go thru material again, find study tips, etc.

write them down. (helps you stay accountable. also people who write their goals down are 42% more likely to achieve them than people who don't write it down.)

create an action plan. (relates to the 2nd point. outline the necessary steps to take, identify resources, set milestones, plan for potential obstacles.)

monitor and evaluate progress. (regularly review your goals, mistakes, and progress. what could you do better to be more efficient and quicker? how can you learn from your mistakes?)

stay committed and flexible. (you really need to be committed to achieve the goals, you shouldn't just start off super excited, doing great in the first week then slacking off. you've made a commitment to YOURSELF. respect yourself enough to stick to it! but also be flexible with your goals. if you're reeeallyy not able to do it one day, plan to do a bit more the next day. stay focussed and don't get discouraged by setbacks.)

celebrate achievements. (recognise when you've hit a major milestone, and celebrate it! this helps you maintain motivation and a sense of accomplishment. and reward yourself!!)

random additional tips:

visualisation. (such a strong form of manifestation. everyday visualise yourself with your goals, feeling all the emotions and thoughts that come with it! visualisation can also really boost your motivation and drive to achieve it.)

PRIORITIES. (remember that also, all goals aren't equally important. prioritise the ones that really matter. this doesn't mean that you can't focus on the other goals, just make sure the ones that need more attention, get more attention.)

positive language. (use kind and encouraging words towards yourself. know and understand that you are that girl who can achieve ANYTHING she sets her mind to.)

seek support. (ask friends and family or a mentor for help. if you want, be careful tho, share your goals with them to help you stay accountable. and if you know a person who's achieved your goals, GET ADVICE FROM THEM! where better to get advice from than someone who's been through what you're going through?)

stay organised. (self explanatory. just stay organised. messy space = messy mind. clean space = clean mind.)

maintain balance. (of course your goals are important, but so is the age you're currently at. especially if you're a teenage, DONT WASTE THESE YEARS!! get out of the house! make friends! go to parties! LIVE LIFE TO ITS FULLEST. also make sure that you get the adequate rest needed!)

write about your journey. (write about the struggles, the obstacles, how you overcame them, insights you got on this journey, etc. trust me, it'll be so interesting and helpful to read when you're older.)

[study-like-you-mean-it]

2024 Goal Setting for People Who Used to be Studyblr Queens and are Now Just Muddling Through Adult Life

I know you, you know me. I've had this account since I was freshly 16 and I'm 23 (and a half) now, and I can guarantee there's loads of you in the same boat right now.

Where did I go? What did I do? I finished my Master's Degree and realised (with some trepidation) at the end of it that I'd achieved everything that was on my list of things to achieve ever, and I didn't really have a plan on what I was going to do, so for what may have been the first time in my life I just...winged it. Started measuring progress according to how I felt about it. And it worked! Lots of good has come out of it so let me suggest some goal setting approaches to help if you're in a similar position (and given the studyblr -> chaos pipeline I might suggest there's at least a few people this might help)

Point 1 - Don't set yourself academic goals

"But Study Like You Mean It, I always set academic goals!" I hear you say. I appreciate the irony of my username in relation to this. Point is, you're not in academia anymore. You need to stop goal setting like you're in academia, and the easiest way to do this is to stop setting academic goals.

"But I like the pursuit of knowledge!" I hear you counter. So do I, but if you've just come out of a hothouse academic setting, you *really* need to consider who you're goal setting for. Do you like the idea of being a polyglot by the end of the year? Sure, fine, whatever, but consider who you're goal setting for. Do you want to be a polyglot because you like the process of learning languages, or because you want to show to others that you know languages? It sounds silly, but you're not working to a grade anymore, and it's absolutely essential that you reflect on why you like doing academic things. This doesn't apply to everyone, but I would kick off the process of self-reflection on this (because you know the Studyblr types are most likely guilty of performative learning) by refusing to set yourself academic goals.

If you don't hit a yardstick, what's the worst that will happen?

(nothing- the answer is nothing and you need to start getting comfortable with that)

Point 2 - Set Process-Based Goals

Building on the last point, if you want to have achieved something by the end of the year, how can you frame it in a way that's definitely not you trying to put down a point to show to others that you've improved, and instead internalise your sense of progress? Maybe the goal you set is "by the end of the year, I want to feel like I understand internalised growth and progress", and you'll know at the end of the year when you self-reflect if you've succeeded in that.

Otherwise, set a process-based goal. If you want to get better at something, but know you're guilty of holding yourself to externalised yardsticks, set yourself a goal that's about the process rather than the result. Scary, I know. For example, say you want to start playing a sport. If you go in without a process-based goal, you could end up saying to yourself "I want to put myself in a position where I qualify for a team two leagues above by the end of the season," which is a SMART* goal, but incredibly determined by outside reflections on your own ability, and very end-result focused. There's a time and a place for goals like this, but if you're coming off a high-intensity academic environment, I would argue that it's not the right place. Instead, what about "I will show up every week and be positive about the fact that I'm not perfect"? It's about the learning process, and I think post-university a lot of people fall out of love with the actual learning process, and become too mired in results.

*specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound

Point 3 - What happens if you don't hit your goal?

I love asking this question to people who've come out of academic environments.

Literally what's going to happen if you can't meet the goal that you've set for yourself when you set an end-goal focused goal?

Nothing!!!!!

It's so freeing. Embrace it! There are no time bounds on learning, so enjoy the learning! There's no exam to pass, no professors to wow, no applications to get accepted. It's just you learning how to be you, and remembering why you love to get good at things!

Part 4 - Habits =/= Goals

This one maybe is a bit tricky to explain. It's the difference between "I'm going to get into the practice of reading on my commute when I can" and "I must finish 10 books this year by reading on my commute when I can". One of them is about introducing something new into your life because it makes you feel good, and the other one is about setting limits on that because you feel you need to control the way that you enjoy things (this comes from academia putting constraints on learning, etc.).

Be patient with yourself, for goodness' sakes. Get into the habit and enjoy the process, don't automatically find ways to be masochistic about it.

My Goal Setting Approach

Now I've clarified the kinds of goals to set in this new and scary world, I'll run through my approach to implement them. First thing to note is I like setting lots of goals, but then those all get broken into little habits that I can focus on in my day to day, as well as timeline-less tasks to accomplish when I've got the time free.

I start with areas I'd like to improve myself in (again, not as a discipline thing, but towards the vision that I might be a more rounded and enriched person because of it):

Personal - how can I become more introspective/calm/mindful?

Financial - how can I become more fiscally responsible now I'm an adult?

Social - how do I make time for others?

Work - what does progress at work over this year look like?

Sport - this can be replaced by whatever your main hobby is

Intellectual - how can I enrich myself and learn about things that I'm interested in?

I won't run through all of these, but I'll create some examples:

Domain: Financial - how can I become more fiscally responsible now I'm an adult?

General points on this: I can save more money, I can improve my credit score, I can pay off some loans

Habits: for the first, I can maybe aim to save 20% of my takehome, by putting 10% in at the start of the month, and trying to put 10% in at the end if I've got enough, and I can set up the timelineless task of opening a high interest-rate savings account for money that I don't need for emergency access; for the second, I can set the timelineless task of setting up a credit card, and get into the habit of paying for my groceries with it; for the third, I can sit down and look at how much of my takehome I can dedicate to this, and then get into the habit of paying off a sustainable amount

Now, I have the timelineless tasks fo getting a credit card, opening a new savings account, and sitting down and looking at my loans, and then I have the two habits of tucking bits of money away and paying off some loans. Note that there's nothing that's made it too urgent (which I admit is a privilege) and there's nothing that tells me I'm a bad person for not being able to do it. Another example:

Domain: intellectual - how can I enrich myself and learn about things that I'm interested in?

General points on this: I would like to read more broadly, I would like to improve my French, I would like to understand more about world events

Habits: for the first, I can read on my commute when I can get a seat on the train, as I have half an hour each way so I can use that time to read. I can set the timelineless task of exploring the kinds of books that I'd like to read; for the second, I can choose to consume more French media when I feel like I have the mental capacity. I also have to speak French at work, so I want to get into the habit of not cowarding out and switching to English (scary but doable); for the last, I can get into the habit of watching the evening news (so it's contained within a time slot and I'm not being overwhelmed by the 24h news cycle) and I can set the timelineless task of picking up a copy of a magazine like the economist once in a while to get a deeper understanding.

So the habits to get into are reading on my commute, choosing to speak more in French, and watching the news when I can; the tasks are maybe picking up a copy of a magazine and coming up with a reading list.

The whole point of this approach is it breaks your bigger goals into a timeline-free to-do list, and then a list of small habits that you can get into. The good news is that there's no punishment for failure! If I want to listen to the Bongo's Bingo Greatest Hits playlist on the train one morning instead of reading about the modern history of Cambodia, nobody's going to come along and tell me off for not being serious enough, or clever enough, or "academic" enough about my approach to life. The to-do list aspect I find immensely helpful, as often I struggle to write larger-level to-do lists when I'm in the middle of the year, because I don't have the same kind of clarity over the types of progress I want to make when I'm in the middle of things.

Anyway, I hope this is useful, and a good counterpoint to the mindset that everyone who's ever been near Studyblr has. Learning now is only for enjoyment, so enjoy that aspect! Live your life! Understand that the process of betterment is all about enriching your personal sphere and nothing about other people because (drumroll) literally nobody else cares! In a good way! Nobody cares that you've not mastered Polish in 3 weeks or read the entire academic output of Montaigne in a week! And it's cool if you have, but the person you are is more important, and freeing yourself from external yardsticks is so so crucial!

Love to anyone who read this far ♥

[theenbyroiderer]

Encountered something way too wholesome about setting goals and perseverance and achievement... so made a little schematic (in good old Paint lol) of what actually tends to happen whenever I set any goals.

[bitchesgetriches]

Stop Measuring Your Time in Beyoncé Hours

Keep reading.

Did we just help you out? Join us on our Patreon!

[essqnn]

Here's an actionable step by step guide, THAT ACTUALLY WORKS, on how to set goals and create to do lists that don't make us want to give up the very first week.

I hope it helps!

Step 1:

I need you to start fresh. If you already have a to do list, delete everything on it. If you have many goals or unclear goals with no real plan, also forget about them. Start fresh. It's time fo let go of what is not serving you and try something new. "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results" - Albert Einstein

Step 2

Get a pen and a notebook, or open your notes app, and sit alone in a quite place. Cancel your plans for the following 2 hours, and allow yourself to prioritise YOU

Step 3:

On the notebook or notes app, begin by writing down rhe things that are sitting in the back of your mind, bugging you. The things that you need to change or do immediately for survival purposes. Those are the things that are very necessary, immediate, and important for survival. For example, if you need money for rent in a couple of months, if you're not getting enough sleep, if you feel sluggish and unhealthy, if you have a health problem that's immediate, if there's an assignment or deadline that you're procrastinating on, if you're dealing with a huge mental health issue that's preventing you from everyday life, if you're dealing with grief or withdrawls, etc. Those things are usually not many. I would say, not more than 3 immediate survival problems.

Step 4:

The 11 categories of life are:

physical health

mental health

fitness and appearance

connections and friends

intimate relationship

money and finances

focus and brain health

skills and personal growth

spirituality

reputation or personal brand

purpose.

I need you to write down the following 11 titles and highlight them, then, under each one of these titles, write no more than 3 problesm. Basically, no more than 3 things you'd like to change about each one of the 11 categories. Get specific. Remember that the key is to prioritise.

Step 5:

On a separate paper, write down your biggest fears in each of the 11 categories. What are the things that you're very scared would happen in the future? Are you scared of a specific health issue? A specific reputation? Being broke and depending on a man who makes it feel like he's doing you a favour for buying food? Get specific. Write down your deepest, darkest fear in each of the 11 categories. The fears will be your anti-visions. The fears will motivate and inspire your goals.

Step 6:

Now on a separate piece of paper, I want you to write down your 3-year goals for each of the 11 categories, which are the opposites of your biggest fears. The goals should be yours. Don't write random things. Don't write things you see other people online go after. Choose goals that really resonate with you as a person. For each one, ask yourself "is this goal really mine"? And "why do i want it?". For example, what's something you'd really like to do for money if it was possible, in order to avoid your biggest fear around money? How would you like to work in order to avoid having to slave around for others? How would you like to look and present yourself? Healthy? Feminine? Effortless? Sharp? How would you like to be known? What type of partner would you like to have? What kind of relationship would you like to be in?

Step 7:

Now, getting to the to do list, I want you to start with the survival list because it is the most important. Let's say you got 3 immediate survival problems on the list. I want you to get a piece of paper, and brain storm then write down EXACTLY what you know that you need to do in order to fix them. The steps should not be general like "get a job", but specific like "use X skill to get X amount of money by applying X amount of times a day, at X time, on X website" get VERY SPECIFIC. decide on the time and place. Lay down the steps. And write down the date by which you have to finish.

The survival goals should be the ones you work on early in the morning or late before bed, for optimal focus. They should have the biggest priority, and they're the ONLY goals that you must work on for extended periods of time. If there are quick things you can do like "take a pill" or "apply for a specific job", then you should do that first thing and quickly.

Step 8:

Now for the 3 problems under each of the 11 categories, I want you to create a basic to-do list for this month, and include 1 problem from each category. Only 1. The 2nd and 3rd problems will be dealt with in the coming months. Choose 11 problems in total, and for each one, set 1 specific daily actionable step that:

Is clear and unambiguous (for example, "read 5 pages from - insert specific business book-" instead of just "read for 15 mins")

Has a clear place and time (on my bed, after dinner)

Has a clear purpose (to develop my business skills and fix -insert problem-)

Is easy and doesn't feel like too much (5 pages instead of 15)

Step 9:

Finally, create a daily checklist. Go to your notes app, or use a notebook, and create a page for each day of the month, with each task on it. Don't enter the tasks manually every day, just write them down once, for the entire month. This creates less resistance. You can also add the checklist as a widget on your home screen, or hand the papers, each day at a time, on your wall.

[classic1970beauty]

I know you want to sleep in but you have to wake up early. I know you don't like the taste, but you have to brush your teeth in the morning. I know that you want to rest, but you're not where you want yet. I know it's warm in your bed but you have to step in the cold. I know the water is cold but you have to wash your face in the morning.  I know you feel sad and alone but you have to do it anyway. I know you don't feel like it but you have to do that workout. I know it's not always tasty but you have to eat healthy. I know it's boring but you have to stick to a routine. I know you want to spend it but you have to save that money. I know you are tired but you have to stick to your skincare routine. I know you are tired but you still have to finish that assignment. I know you want to go to sleep but you still haven't done everything that's on your to do list. I know you are tired but YOU HAVE TO DO IT TIRED. I know you are hurt, but you will heal. I know it's uncomfortable what I just told you but you have to be leading a boring, disciplined and uninteresting life if you want to achieve your dream! STAY FOCUSED!

[whilereadingandwalking]

The turning of a new year is a symbolic beginning, but it's been a rough year, and mentally, I'm fully ready to step out of one year and into the next. I'm ready to shed other people's drama and focus on keeping myself together. To try and restart my weekly yoga practice in hopes that my body allows me to, and appreciates it. To be kinder to myself, but also to demand more of myself so I don't fall into the same depressive lows and gullies that cost me so much (figuratively and literally) over the past year. To indulge myself less, and try to still find an inner peace. To slow down, downsize, and make up some ground.

[soulbutterlanguages]

Building Habits for Language Learning

Possibly the most important thing you can do when looking to learn a language, is to carve it into your daily schedule. Once you make a habit out of it, the discipline which you have created for yourself will help carry you through the advanced stages of this language.

In this video I discuss my goals I set for myself in 2023 and how I will accomplish them. 

As a follow up, I have created this January Recap in which I talk about my progress so far and how I build these habits while maintaining a full work-week.

specifically, I discuss:

- setting reasonable goals

- obtaining some while putting others on the back-burner

- burnout and how to avoid it

- what it means to be productive

- SPECIAL BONUS; what we can learn from the French 32-hour work-week

I hope it is helpful!

[deepalilohia]

The Power of Setting Effective Goals

The same way you set a plan for your future trips, so as you set goals in this regard. You don't want to be lost on the way to your goal, and keeping SMART goals will help your map guide you to success.

What are SMART Goals? 

Specific: Your goal should be super clear.

Measurable: You want to be able to tell if you've reached your goal. 

Achievable: Your goal should be possible.

Relevant: Your goal should matter to you.

Time-bound: Give yourself a deadline.

[fitforestfairy]

Setting Clear Weight Loss Goals

And working hard to reach them

I’ve had a really hard time mentally and physically for several months, almost a year actually (and I had deep depression and anxiety for another two at least). I was honestly just trying to survive and trying to make it to the next day.

Survival mode was exactly that. And I neglected my health a lot because I honestly didn’t think I was going to make it.

Things have been better lately. I’m safe, I’m healing, I’m at peace. I have a beautiful support system. So the time has come for me to give myself the self love and care I deserve.

I have finally sorted out the amount of weight I want to lose to reach a comfortable (for me) yet healthy weight by my birthday, which is in the end of summer. I calculated how much I need to lose weekly and I calculated the calories I’ll be consuming.

I made a cute chart in my journal to track my weight weekly. I will be weighing in every Friday. And I have told my partner about my goals and how I plan to achieve them, so I have his support and I don’t feel like I have to do it all in secret and setting myself up for failure.

I understand that progress is not linear. I understand that my weight will fluctuate. I understand that it may take me longer than I anticipate to reach my goal weight. I understand that I will have to show up for myself every day, that I won’t always feel motivated and that I won’t be perfect. But as long as I stay consistent, it’s going to be ok.

I’m pretty optimistic, not just about my fitness and weight loss journey, but about the future in general. And I’m very grateful for that. After all I’ve been through, I don’t take it for granted.

[healing-better-faster-stronger]

How to set realistic and attainable goals for yourself using the Be S.M.A.R.T. system

Specific

Be specific about the goals you wish to achieve. We are more likely to accomplish our goals when they are specific rather than vague.

Measurable

Create goals for yourself and measure your progress. This helps you stay disciplined and motivated. It’s important to take a look at how far we’ve made it because sometimes we overlook and dismiss our own progress. Cheer yourself on like you would a friend.

Attainable/Achievable

Set attainable goals yourself, meaning that the goal is within your grasp and achievable by you given your current situation. This allows you to sustain your efforts and resist the urge to “give in.” Lofty goals may only serve to let you down.

Relevant/Realistic

Ask yourself: Why are you setting this goal? This reiterates the previous point. In order for you to successfully achieve your goals, you must be realistic about what you can accomplish and why you desire to accomplish it.

Timely/Time-bound

It helps to give ourselves a time frame, even a loose one, when working to achieve a goal. This keeps us on track and focused, and makes the goal tangible. Don’t rush yourself but don’t give yourself an eternity, either.

🤍Tips and tricks🤍

✅Write down your goals. Studies show that we are far more likely to complete a goal when we write it down or make a list. Do yourself a favor and write down your goals!

✅Create a journal for your goals. This will help you follow the SMART system.

✅Start with small goals and as you overcome those hurdles, you will be more equipped to take on bigger goals. It’s like warming up before a big race— you gotta practice first and stretch out your legs.

✅Consider what resources you have available to you and what your limits are. Remember, there will be factors out of your control.

✅Tell a friend. Share your fears and concerns but also your progress and your victories. Keep them in the loop as you work toward your goal. We are more likely to achieve goals when we tell people about them and receive support.

Setbacks do not erase your progress! Repeat that back to yourself.

Feeling overwhelmed? That’s okay and totally normal. Break down your goal into mini-goals that all lead to the big goal. Day by day, step by step, you will achieve it.

Take a breath, take a break, and remember that tomorrow will grant you a fresh start.

[rottackk]

Hey guys, I want to give any possible followers an 'update' of sorts, so here we go:

I realized that I have been fairly inactive on my socials for the last few weeks, and that's because I've been planning Bae & I's move back to Oregon!

With all that finally sorted and in motion, I would like to announce that I will be documenting Bae & I's move and progress throughout the new year!

We don't necessarily have 'New Years Resolutions', but I do plan on achieving a few aspirations and set goals by the end of the year, and Bae says he would like to do this with me, but we shall see if we keep with it. 😅

ASPIRATIONS:

Improve & progress my Baking Career

Make more Art

GOALS:

Meditate daily

Workout daily

Get a kitten

Grow my savings

Things that will be changing starting January 1st, 2024:

I will share, and be posting, on a NEW Snapchat for daily updates on what's going on with me!

I will also be moving my OnlyFans Weekly Live Stream from Thursday's to Saturday Nights! In addition, more free and purchasable content will be available!

I will be posting on our Instagram and this Tumblr more frequently!

I will be providing live video of myself along with my Twitch Streams!

Lastly, I will be hosting some sort of Weekly Interactive Activity for my followers..

[pinkacademic]

How to Write Resolutions and Make them STICK!

Warning: Phone formatting lol

Girlies, this is not untapped territory, this I know. But I know it’s the sort of thing that can be an area worth saturating bc we know we all love the help- I know I do!!

The example I’m going to use is journaling.

Do NOT set a vague-ass “I’m gonna journal more,” and Do NOT do the big, unattainable “I’m gonna journal everyday!”

Let’s make this work.

1. Set something SPECIFIC

If that does mean your goal is everyday, so be it, but see step 2. Set something that you can reasonably attain such as “I’m going to journal my thoughts at the end of every week,” or “I’m going to track one habit in my bullet journal.”

2. Set targets/mini-goals along the way.

Start small. Let’s assume we’re sticking with the goal to journal everyday. Start with weekly for, say, Jan and Feb, then maybe twice in Mar and Apr… then build in a way that works for you!

Similarly, if you have, say, the goal of a full spread of writing. Star with half a page, build to a full page, and then up to two!

That’s kind of it!

Don’t put pressure on yourself to be perfect from the start! Ease yourself in, and take it step by step. Commit and get it done, and good luck in 2024!!

[ariiiiilynn]

Yay challenging myself to wake up at 4am consistently 👀 I’m hoping I can do that so I have more time to do things in the mornings but I know it’s really hard lmao

[bitchesgetriches]

Shudder.

People love to talk about “big, hairy, audacious goals,” a term I find unnecessarily gross. Why does it have to be hairy? There’s no usage of the word “hairy” that isn’t vile. Wtf. Anyway…

Setting a daring, almost-too-big goal can work. That’s how JFK sent strong, handsome, square-jawed American men to the moon!

One massive, awe-inspiring goal is a great tool for businesses and people who run businesses because it does two things: focus and invigorate. The company I work for has over one hundred thousand global employees. That’s a lot of fucking manpower! If our CEO said “build me a life-size gingerbread house by close of business today,” he’d be all set for Hansel and Gretel by 5 p.m. Central Standard.

But as we’ve noted before: businesses are not people. And the solutions that work great for businesses don’t necessarily translate to personal solutions. We don’t have a business’s discretion to drop obligations in order to make sudden pivots. Businesses have way more resources and specialized support functions than a private individual will ever have. Businesses don’t have social and biological needs, goddamn it! I need to watch The Fugitive and sleep for eight hours, so fuck off with your moon shot. It ain’t happening tonight, Jack!

Ted Talky people rave about the practice of setting huge, ambitious goals like it’s some kind of secret, magical key to unprecedented success.

To me, this stinks of bullshit.

The people who crow about the importance of big goals seem to disproportionately be self-promotional motivational speakers, self-promotional authors, and self-promotional Silicon Valleyish entrepreneurs. Notice a theme?

The advice may or may not actually work for them; I have no idea. But I do know that it’s much easier to package and sell than the kind of goal-setting that actually works.

Keep reading.

[byrachshop]

The ultimate guide to CRUSH your GOALS in 2023

2023 is coming our way faster than we thought. A few days ago it was October and we were all celebrating Halloween and then, as we blinked our eyes, Christmas was here and we were busy buying gifts and having dinner with friends and family. These last couple weeks of December always pass by so fast that we don’t even realize how close New Year’s Eve is. The next thing we know is that it is midnight and there are fireworks in the night sky.

Most of us like to write down some resolutions and things we want to change about ourselves to become our best version and to have the best year of our life - to be successful. However, after two or three weeks into January, we start getting lost, forget about our goals, lose motivation, and end up doing the same as the previous year, only to notice it when December comes again.

To overcome that, I’m bringing you this guide, explaining why such a thing happens, and how to crush all your goals and stick to new healthy habits this year.

Review Your 2022

It is a fact that we learn from our mistakes, so it isn’t an exception in this case.

Go back and think of who you were a year ago, on January 1st, and the goals you wanted to achieve through 2022. Reflect on your past goals and ambitions - did you accomplish all of them? If not, why?

It is important to remember that although we didn’t achieve all our goals and our year didn’t happen as planned, we still learned a lot and grew.

Resolutions for 2023

Knowing the highlights of 2022, you can wisely plan this new year. First, think about all the things you wanted to achieve last year, and write them down. Then, list other things you want to do this year - make sure they’re achievable since you want to work to get them and not do something impossible.

It’s also good to think about relationships and who doesn’t belong in our lives anymore. Don’t be afraid to cut people off when they’re not doing any good to you anymore, or when you don’t do any good to them.

SMART Goals

We don’t achieve our goals throughout the year because we don’t use smart goals. But, what are SMART goals, then?

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. What we mean by this is that you have to make sure you don’t grab a piece of paper and write "get healthier", "get good grades", or "get a lot of money", since they’re too generic.

Instead, you should take these generic goals and develop them into something like this:

To get healthier, I will walk 10k steps every day,  drink 2L of water, and go to the gym twice a week; I will lose 5kg by march.

Don’t go too heavy on yourself - you can increase the intensity as the year goes by.

New Habits

Sometimes bad habits hold us back from achieving our goals (for example, procrastinating, going to bed late, or scrolling endlessly on social media). Sit back, reflect on your past days, and point out which bad habits are in your routine. You will need to get rid of them. The best way to do it is by replacing it with a new healthy habit. For example, swipe the number of hours you spend on social media reading a book, practicing an instrument, or exercising. If you want to stop drinking soda, swipe it with water.

Make a list of new habits you want to include in your routine, then check them off every day and see how long you can keep the streak! Reward yourself after a certain amount of time (after a week, a month, you name it).

With these new habits implemented in your daily life, you’ll see your routine changing through the months. If you stick to these habits, you’ll feel a huge difference by the end of the year.

Motivation

Most of the time we end up not doing things because we lack motivation. It makes us procrastinate for hours and hours, searching for inspiration and trying to find just a little bit of motivation to get up and do what has to be done. That’s right, I’ve been there.

We always ask ourselves “how are they always so motivated?” The truth is, they are not! Motivation isn’t everything, and it won’t make us reach our goals - on the contrary: if we spend our precious time awaiting motivation to come to us, we will spend another year doing nothing. That’s why we create a system to reach our goals - we need to be consistent, even when we don’t feel like doing it. We have to get up and do our work, because who else will do it for us?

Vision Board

Last but not least, create a vision board.

Don’t throw just “cute pictures” on a board to create a good vision board. Instead, pick pictures that make you feel closer to your goals, that help you visualize them, and that is always there in front of you to remind you about the purpose of your day.

You can make a physical vision board or a digital one. To the physical, search for images, words, and phrases that remind you of your goals. Then print them and put them together on a board or in a notebook - but make sure it’s somewhere visible so that you can always reach for it and take a look.

If you rather do it digitally, it’s also quite simple. Instead of printing picture by picture, make a collage. The best way is to put them together in a document that fits your computer/tablet/phone screen. This way you can set it as wallpaper, and look at it multiple times throughout the day, even without thinking of it.

Conclusion

Let’s look at what has been said: before setting goals for 2023, think about 2022 and highlight good and bad moments. Revise the goals you have achieved, and those you didn’t, and try to understand the reason behind them. After that, let’s head to the next step, which is the actual goal-setting: write down your new year resolutions, keeping in mind the definition of SMART goals, so that they’re achievable. Among the new goals, set new habits you want to stick to and find bad habits in your routine you want to get rid of. The last step is to create a vision board and keep it close to you.

Last tip: Before concluding, I’d like to remind you to check your goals and resolutions throughout the year. I recommend taking a look at them every month, and then writing a journal entry by the end of each month and reflecting on what went well, and what went wrong. Always plan and set small monthly steps to achieve your final goals.

Now that you’re ready to set your goals and get started with 2023, grab now this bundle: 2023 Notion Planner + Crush Your Goals Workbook only for 9€. For the first 15 people, get 2€ off with the code decemberplanning.

I wish you a happy new year, and hope you can reach all your goals in 2023!

Happy planning.