Forget Resolutions And Plan With Intention!

Tired of creating new year resolutions that never amount to anything? Keep reading....

There's always something about a new year that awakens a part of us to start afresh right? The problem is, what do we do, what do we want, argh it's booze time and omg now it's the new year and work starts!?!?!?!

First of all, forget the generic 'I wanna do more,' 'I wanna loose weight,' or, 'I wanna be more productive,' nonsense. If you have these as your goals you will quickly become disappointed and continue as you have for the past few years. (FYI - If that's you and you're okay with that, I suggest you stop reading from here, if not and you want more for yourself - continue).

Helping someone in Wrexham with their business idea

I am a firm believer in strategic planning and if nothing is written down it doesn't get done. Arnold Schwarzenegger said it best,

"You can have the best ship in the world, but if the captain doesn't know where to go, he's going to just drift around and get lost."

You need to have a destination even if you might not be able to see it clearly. If you want to loose weight this year, great, but what steps are you going to do to achieve your ideal weight? Getting a PT would be a good start, but what about your diet? What do you do when you have crappy days? So let's dive in...

1. Define Your Destination

Where are you sailing too?

Ask yourself, 'what does success look like for you this year?'

And I'm not only talking about in business, but what about your personal development? Health? Is there anything new you want to learn this year?

"But I don't know how to goal set or create New Years goals?!" - Don't worry I got you!

Typically for me I use a version of the Wheel Of Life - have a look below - I have placed a star next to the ones I focus on.

I also include Daily Habits and Business Development.

I will think about at least 3 things (sometimes more sometimes less) in each category that I want to accomplish something in that year. Some could be really BHAG ones (Big Hairy Arse Goals) or some could be smaller but still unique and important to me.

You want to try and be as specific as possible - think about if you had a magic wand and what life could look like for you. Be realistic, however, DARE TO DREAM! For example, under finances, you may think saving £5k would be a big stretch for you this year and if you can save that, amen. Others might want to be a little more ambitious and push that to £10k or further still (obvs depending on the crappy UK government at the moment!). You know in your heart when you dream and there's a part of you that does believe it's possible but you get a little scared - KMT DREAM!

Some of my goals this year are:

• Specific weight lifting and cardio goals in the gym

• Wanting to do 2 passion projects this year

• Travel to 4 European countries for either a week or a long weekend

• Learn a new skill in my business which will be centred around understanding SEO and website functionality

It is also really good to understand why these are important to you because when the proverbial s*** hits the fan you'll either realise that goal meant didilly squat or means the world to you. Don't waste your time on things that don't matter to you. My favourite speaker of all time said it best;

"In 5 years you will arrive, the question is where." - Jim Rohn

Make sure your year is spent doing things you want to do and not just filling it with the same things you've done before and you don't enjoy.

Ok so we have some specific goals what's next?

2. Break Them Down Into SMART Goals

Click to learn the SMART Meaning:

S Specific: You clearly define what it is you want to achieve

M Measurable: You will track your progress with clear numbers

A Achievable: Set challenging but realistic goals

R Relevant: Ensure your goals align with your overall vision and values

T Time-bound: Set deadlines to keep yourself accountable

So with the above in mind let's just say we want to loose weight this year - this is what a SMART goal might look like:

S - I want to loose 10 pounds this year (could be for a specific reason too)

M - I will track my weight weekly using a scale

A - I want to loose this weight within 3 months - will be challenging but doable. It will also require consistent effort with dieting too.

R - This goal supports my overall well-being and aligns with my fitness goals

T - Lose 10 pounds of body fat by March 30th 2025

3. Now Schedule It In!

If you're anything like me, if I don't schedule it in it simple does not get done!

So in keeping with the weight loss goal, we need to think about how many times you'll go to the gym weekly, whether you invest in a PT or not, what exercises you'll be doing each time, creating a diet plan. Essentially breaking down the SMART goals even further for what you need to do in 3 months to achieve that goal.

Yes it takes time! But if you want different results, you have to try new stuff!

Imagine this year being a mountain that you're going to climb, reaching the top will be Dec 31st 2025. In order to climb the mountain you need to know what to bring, what to be prepared for, what to expect, maybe do some training before you start climbing, and for some of you, you might even summit before the year is done! What an amazing achievement that will be!

4. Review and Amend

Now it goes without saying, make sure you review and amend your plans if you need to. Remember I'm a realist! Things happen in life that will no doubt change our priorities for good or for bad.

I normally review my plans weekly, in terms of the things I've planned on the smaller scale (the broken down SMART bits) and then at the end of the month I'll also review things overall to see if I'm making progress or not and make adjustments if I need too.

Remember: It is OKAY to change the destination if you need to, just make sure you set a new course!

5. Please Take Care Of Yourself

Health is the true wealth

Burnout is REAL! Make sure you take care of your mental and physical health, without it you will not achieve any of the goals you've planned!

Amongst all the scheduling, add in downtime! Difficult when you run your own business, have kids, look after a parent, but do it! An evening or weekend off, an hour extra at lunch time, trust me you're body will thank you later!

I'll be doing another blog about how to take breaks and not feel guilty as a business owner later in the year if that effects you!

So, I hope this helps to give you some clarity on goal setting for the year! Please do add in the comments what your BHAGs are and let me know if you achieve them! Good luck!!