Create 2020 Goals That Matter (not longer to-do lists)
Jenny Quicksall Photography
Setting goals is nothing new for any entrepreneur. It’s how you got where you are afterall. But new goals sometimes means higher expectations, added pressure, and new stress. How can we create goals without adding to our to-do list? Download the 2020 Worksheet PDF here.
Choose goals that matter to you RIGHT NOW.
We all want to be healthier, richer, and happier. So it’s easy to say “eat better” or “make more money” is your New Year’s Goal, especially for the entrepreneur who is comfortable setting big goals and pushing herself to go after them. And sometimes you hear an amazing goal from a friend or colleage like “Unplug and digitally detox” and you add that to your list. But becoming stressed or (maybe even worse) disappointed when you realize we aren’t accomplishing what you want isn’t our end game. And that’s what happens you choose goals that don’t matter to you right now.
Set yourself up for success by choosing the right goals for you. First, take a look back at the previous year. List all your accomplishments, personal and professional. What really made you feel good? Closing that big sale? Or taking the week off to camp with family? Only when you see where you have been, can you know where you want to go.
Sometimes you realize that you might have accomplished everything you wanted (or more!) and still feel unfulfilled. Or maybe you wanted to lose 10 pounds last year, but it’s not really your thing this year. That’s okay! That just means that you are ready to bring something new into your life. What is it? Maybe you want to bring a more mindful practice to your financially booming business. Maybe you want to spend more time with your family and eat more meals together. Figure out what makes you feel good so you can feel good at the end of year when you did more of it!
Create your Ladder of Next Steps.
Start with your goal like “Meditate more”. Next, identify what tools and support you might need to make it happen. If something is new to you, set yourself up for success by learning all that you can about it so you can do it well! Maybe you need to do research. Maybe you need a coach. Write down on your next step down the ladder: “Find a meditation class.”
Next, put a number on it. If you meditated 0 days last year, meditating 150 days this year would be more, right? So you can write down on your next step down the ladder: “Meditate 150 days.”
Next, assign those 150 days. When are they happening? Monday, Wednesday Friday before work? At lunch? Before every event day? Write down on your next step down the ladder: “Meditate every MWF at 7am.”
Every next step might look a little different depending on your goal and your preferences. The key is that you have to make the Next Steps comfortable. If you like group support groups, include one for a Next Step. If you like online classes, include one of those. You should feel supported and motivated in every Next Step. If you can already hear excuses, erase it and figure out a different way. Or maybe add in sub-steps and break it down further.
Schedule it!
Keep going with your Next Steps until you arrive at a daily plan. Then put it in your calendar system! Go ahead. I’ll wait. Because things that don’t get scheduled, don’t get done. Set alarms, set reminders, pair it with another habit that you already do without thinking.
If you want to be stronger and doing push-ups every morning is in your daily plan, set your alarm 5 minutes earlier. Then right before you brush your teeth, drop and do as many push-ups as you can. Pretty soon, push-ups become an easy part of your morning routine just like brushing your teeth.
Who is responsible here?
Another tool to guarantee a success is find an accountability buddy. Getting to the gym is easier if you know someone else is expecting you to be there at 11am everyday. Following through with your business goals is easier if you have to report to your accountability group meeting on Skype on Tuesday afternoons. One year my goal was to get more massages because I knew it was good for my health and stress-levels, but I would sometimes feel guilty to spend money on myself, especially if it was a slow work week. So I told my friend who loved getting massages, and her excitement makes me excited and accountable to our monthly massage date.
What could possibly go wrong?
This is where the magic starts to happen. You’re gonna need to pieces of paper here and something to write with. On the first sheet of paper, you write down everything that’s going right when you're carrying out your goals. What does it look like? What does it feel like? Who is there? Smells, touch, tastes? Write it all out until you fill up the page (go ahead, use the back if you like).
On the second page, write down everything that’s holding you back from accomplishing your goals everyday. You have a busy day, the car breaks down, someone gets sick, you feel unmotivated, you don’t get the client you want,.. write it all down. By going through all the scenarios in your head, you identify your fears (and in some way, already start to process through them). If it’s helpful, after you’ve completed this second page, come up with your plan B for doing the things that matter to you when obstacles pop up, like working out on a busy day or eating nourishing foods when you’re traveling.
No need to save those pages. The work is already happening. I just throw them away. But if you’re feeling it, you can go ahead and burn them (extra points for doing this during the New or Full Moon).
Reward & Rest yourself
While this is nothing new, you need to rest and reward yourself regularly. You do 3 Next Steps, you take an afternoon to visit an art museum. You do 10 Next Steps, you do the wine tour weekend in Napa. You’re not a robot. You need rest and time away from your work-life in order to maintain (and even increase!) productivity and inspiration. Your business depends on it.
Make these tools work for you. Your Ladder of Next Steps might look a little different. You might remind yourself differently or reward yourself differently. If you choose goals and develop a plan that works for you, you’ll be creating a year full of worth and value to you without the stress of another thing to add to your To Do list.