I’m a couple weeks late on this but I feel like January doesn’t even count as a real month because everyone is so busy pretending to get their shit together. And occasionally, succeeding at getting their shit together. Or most likely, half pretending/half succeeding. Nothings ever perfect, right?
Something I did towards the end of 2018 that has really made me feel like 2019 is going to be a total game changer for me, is plan out my entire year. Not like, every single thing I will do every single day. I’m not crazy. Or that crazy anyway. But I went month by month and set business goals and focuses, as well as personal things I’d like to achieve and work on. And you know what? I feel more intentional and in control of my life than ever.
I wrote it all down in a notebook, allowed myself to really just throw all of my thoughts and ideas on a page and then organized it by month in a timeline that made sense. I recognized which goals maybe weren’t the most realistic and removed them but I also pushed myself to think big and not be afraid to go after new, exciting goals too. The whole project left me feeling SO inspired and ready for the new year. It allowed me to start 2019 with major boss babe vibes and that’s really the mood I’m trying to stay in all year round.
So I wanted to share how you can also plan out your year with thoughtful intention so you can see all of those dreams and ideas become a reality. You can’t hit a target that doesn’t exist right? Take some time to figure out what you’re aiming for this year and then work backward to plan out how you’re going to get there.
Here are 5 tips for planning out your year for success!
BREAK IT DOWN INTO QUARTERS
Saying that you want to double to your income in the next year is huge and daunting and a very “where do I even begin?” kind of statement. But breaking down that number into quarters can feel much more attainable.
I looked at my big picture goals for this year—both personal and professional—and then broke them down in smaller goals by quarter. Then I broke those goals down by month. Each quarter I’ll look back at these notes and hang them up in my office so I can see what my focus is during that point in the year. And because each quarter looks different in terms of projects I’ll be working on, I’ll also create a new weekly schedule template for each quarter.
For example, this quarter I’m working on launching a podcast so that’s taken into account for my work schedule. But during a different quarter, I might be working on a different project and will need to readjust my schedule again. But no matter what, I’ll have a plan that will allow me to reach that quarter’s goals.
SIMPLIFY
I am someone who always bites off more than I can chew. I’m someone who likes saying yes and enjoys being busy. However, this can often be my downfall and result in me being 1. so overwhelmed and stressed 2. very grumpy and 3. unable to achieve even one of the goals I’ve set out to reach.
So instead, I focus on keeping things simple and devoting as much time to one project at a time as I can. Obviously, the blog will always be a big priority so this means that I can’t realistically take on more than maybe one other project at once if I’m going to stay sane and maintain the quality of my work.
This applies to lifestyle stuff too. If you’re trying to be healthier and you’ve decided you’re going to go from never working out to running 6 miles every morning and cutting out carbs completely and detoxing and then taking pilates at night and doing a million other things, you may find yourself giving up before you’ve even begun.
Start small and start simple. You can always change your goal over time if you find yourself reaching your original one with ease.
PERSONAL, CAREER AND HEALTH
Another way to break down your year and make it easy to tackle your goals is to place each item on your to-do list into 3 categories; personal, career and health.
Obviously, if you don’t have any health-related goals or you have a different category in mind you can adjust these but I find that in general, we’re usually trying to improve those three aspects of our lives. So if you’re trying to lose 10 pounds, get a promotion and want to plan two big trips it may be easier to compartmentalize these three goals so you don’t get too overwhelmed.
Write out three different lists for each category and jot down everything you want to accomplish. Then start looking at each quarter and decide where these goals make the most sense in your year. Some goals might require the entire year and others might require just one quarter to achieve. Maybe you aim to lose those 10 pounds in the first quarter and then maintain it throughout the rest of the year. Or maybe you’re up for that promotion in the third quarter so you’ll spend the second one really getting after it. This way each quarter and each month has a specific focus instead of you trying to do all the things at once.
TRACK YOURSELF
I think a lot of us get really excited about our goals but then after a few weeks, it can be easy to just kind of…forget they exist. A great way to avoid that and to stay motivated and on top of them is to track your progress.
By using some sort of system to check off your to-do lists and track your goals you’ll be able to have a visible reminder of what you’re working towards. Like I mentioned previously, I keep my goals and to do’s for each quarter hanging in my office so I can look at them every day and plan each month around them. I also use this planning website called Trello that allows you to create multiple to-do lists that you can assign due dates, add checklists to and even write down notes about each item. Trello is also an app so I’m able to check and see what needs to get done each week even when I’m away from my office.
Whether you go digital or you use a whiteboard or just have an open notebook on your desk to track everything, you will find this habit to be super motivating! There’s nothing better than watching yourself get closer and closer to your goal.
ALWAYS LEAVE ROOM TO ADJUST
We all know that life happens. Our cars break down, we get the flu and a million other little things that stop us from getting all of our many “things” done. And that’s okay because you can plan for that.
By planning out your entire year, it can be easy to forget to leave room for the unexpected. But we need to make all of our plans flexible so we can easily adjust in the moment. This is also where simplifying your goals comes in. If they have too many moving parts it may be difficult to readjust them later on if you need to.
If you plan to complete a project during one month that will require you to work on it actively every day you might be setting yourself up for failure. But if you stretch out your timeline and give yourself 6 weeks to work on it, you’ll allow yourself some room to move things around if something comes up.
And ultimately, if things go wrong or you feel like you’re off track don’t stress yourself out. Anything can be fixed and you can always start fresh. Let the journey of reaching your goals to be fun and exciting, even if there are a few bumps in the road.
What are your goals for 2019? Tell me in the comments below!
Xo, She
