Hello lovely readers of the internet,
It’s been a while since I have written on this platform and I am ready to get myself in the grove of things. Normally, I wait till the end of December before I start thinking about the New Year and reflecting on the previous year.
However, a valuable skill that I have learned has been don’t wait till the new year, don’t wait till the Next Month, don’t wait till Monday. We can always re-invent and be better every single day.
It started with going back to my goals from 2023 and seeing which ones I accomplished, which ones I struggled with, and which ones don’t align with me anymore.
I made a super helpful blog post (possibly one of my favorite blog posts I have ever done, tbh).
This is where I broke down the difference between a goal, a habit, and an intention.
After I reflected on my previous goals. I created a vision board for 2024, I noticed that the majority of my goals from the previous year are still the same. I just printed images that represented those goals.
I made a cozy space with music, and a clean bedroom, and I had a positive atmosphere while I did this. I made myself clear on why these goals mattered to me and I need to go back to work on the HOW of this exercise.
Once, I got my goals. I started researching what would be my agenda/systems for the upcoming year and for me.
There are 3-4 agendas that I have in mind. Daily goal tracking (if you read my previous post, you might guess which one), and two agendas that help with achieving and planning my goals.
Taking it one week or even one day at a time to back on my goals is important because I’m looking at a new year and it can be intimidating, but instead just focusing on improving one week helps out tremendously.
For my first week these are the trackers and the things that I did. Recently, I discovered a new YouTuber ( Nika Eculj )and I enjoyed her content. She has a link to a notion page that focuses on building these healthy habits.
Here are some key takeaways from this article that can help you reflect and plan for 2024…
1. Reflect on the previous year.
Look back at 2023 and reflect on what goals you did accomplish and which ones you did not. Why was that? Was it lack of motivation, environment factors, maybe the goal did not align with who you are. Reflect on the previous year and understand why things worked or didn’t work.
2. Do your goals still align?
We sometimes change the things that we want. Maybe your original goal was to lose weight, but that isn’t a clear goal. Instead, your goal might change to stick to one healthy habit for a month such as drinking more water or going on walks after work. These might be more accurate to your goals.
3. Make new goals for 2024 or edit the ones that you had that you WILL accomplish in 2024
If your goals are still similar to last years like mine then you might break down those big goals into smaller more manageable goals that you accomplish in 3 months and that way they feel tangible.
4. Create a vision board of these goals.
Now take an evening or a bright morning and light up a candle, put upbeat music and print out images that represent your goals. You can start off with your goals from point 3 and print pictures from Pinterest that represent that goal and make a collage. Have these visuals in a place where you can see them on a daily basis.
5. Focus on one goal and break it down into manageable steps.
Rome was not built in One day so focus on one goal at a time and break it into manageable steps. If your goal is to lose weight then you might want to start off by what you can do on a daily basis such as walking your dog in the evenings for 30 minutes or you might want to cook more home cooked meals so you might have meal prep at home on Sundays.
6. You can make 3 month goals that will help keep you accountable.
If you have a big goal such as buying a new car, which is a big expense. What you can do is start a sinking fund, and start saving up money for that car that you want. If you get extra money, have it go toward this sinking fund and when you reach a certain amount start browsing cars or looking at what car is the best fit for you.
7. Solidify your morning and night routines
One of the best things that I have done for myself has been having a solid night and morning routine. If you want to achieve your goals, but you work a 9-5 (in my case a 7-4 job) use the morning to focus on your goal. By the time you get out of work you won’t have the motivation to work on those goals. Also your evening routine can be used to set up yourself for success for the next day.
8. Keep track of progress.
Whether it’s in a notebook or an agenda or a habit tracker. Keeping track of your progress is important to see what has worked and what has not. So keep track and that way you can reflect on what has or hasn’t worked.
9. Reflect once the goal has been achieved.
When you DO achieve something, celebrate it. When you start to celebrate the small wins then you begin to feel so much better. One of the things that James Clear talks about in his book “Atomic Habits” is about reward. We are humans and we are motivated by reward. So your goal might be to lose weight (keeping in trend with my previous example) your reward might be new workout clothes you have been eyeing or an apple watch to keep you health goals on track.
10. Show gratitude
When you show gratitude to the world, the world blesses you with more of those things. Even when things are difficult there is something to be grateful about. You can use tools such as a gratitude journal or even write down every day one thing you are grateful for and realize that you have so much to be grateful for.
Hope you enjoy this article and it helps you with readjusting your goals and making an action plan for 2024 without waiting until the “perfect time”
Words for the day: “this too shall pass”
Xoxo Adi
