We are one week away from welcoming a new year. That is insane to think, myself and alot of people feel like 2020 was last year. Alas, 2024 is quickly approaching. This year I started a little earlier than most, but because my mind set shifted toward seeing December as a prep-month and using it as a way to get started on the goals I will achieve this year.
Before you start writing your new years goals and creating those vision boards I know you have seen on TikTok. It’s important to reflect on the previous year, and ask yourself these questions…
- What worked in 2023?
- What didn’t?
- Did I accomplish my goals? Why or why not?
- Do those goals still ring true to me?
- How do I feel now?
For me, 2023 was bitter-sweet, but a lot of new changes happened. My mantra was, “wrap yourself in petals of armor” which if you have listened to Hailey Williams Petals of Armor, you know exactly that that song represents being soft to moments and allowing yourself to feel the good and the bad and building a shield when life gets hard.
This year I completed the credential program, and I started teaching. I traveled a lot more this year than any other year before, I tried new restaurants, and I made new friendships. Some of the things that I did not accomplish were not blogging consistently, not finding a gym that I love, not learning to speak French, and not moving to Los Angeles.
Now that you have completed your reflection on how your 2023 was. Focus on what your new goals are for 2024. Write them based on categories. For Instance, in Health and Wellness you might write Drink 1L of water daily, Close all of my apple watch rings, or take 10,000 steps daily.
I also like to use the life wheels, you can find some on Pinterest and use them to mark where you are at life in these categories and where you would like to be. Then, near that category write down your goals.
Example:
This one, which I found on Pinterest, can be printed for Free.
After you have created these you can create a google doc or even write it down in a notebook and write down why you want to achieve these goals. You are more likely to achieve that goal if your why matters to you.
So you might think, “my goal in 2024 is to make more money” Make your goal SMART. Which means be specific, make the goal measurable, achievable, relevant, and timed.
Instead, change it to:
- My goal is to make $10,000 dollars more by the end of this year.
- Why: because this money will allow me to move out on my own.
- Steps: Each month I will have to make xyz amount of money to achieve my goal by the end of the year.
- I will achieve this goal by working part-time at xyz.
The difference is you went into specific detail by station how much more you wanted to make, you had a clear why and a purpose to make this money, and you had actionable steps to get there, they are clear and it makes a big goal manageable.
In the book, “Atomic Habits” by James Clear he talks about Reward. We are creatures that want to be rewarded for the things that we achieve. Therefore, it is important to tie your goal to something that you have always wanted. Using the previous example, you can say, when I achieve this goal of earning 10,000 more I will use some of that money to buy myself a new living room set or buy myself a more comfortable bed that I have been eyeing.
This way you are motivated to achieve said goal and at the end there is a reward for all of that hard work.
Once you have a list of your goals I suggest you backwards plan on how to achieve them. This was not my idea, I got it off of someone from TikTok, but essentially you backwards plan for each month and you break down the big goal into smaller more manageable goals for each month.
Finally, when this is done you want to create a vision board. This is where the fun part is, especially if you are someone that is crafty. If not, a digital vision board works just as well.
I create a positive environment by lighting a candle or playing some upbeat music. Then, collect images on a Pinterest board that represent your goals. Print them out and create a collage. I’ve also seen people put them in categories that work just as well. If you can’t print them out, save it as a screenshot and add it to your phone screen, computer screen, ipad screen, etc.
I like to have mine by my bed and I flip it over when I don’t want others to see it. But I can flip it and see it any time that I wish to.
Since my mantra/word of the year this year is, Butterfly Effect. I decided to print and laminate some butterflies and every time I achieve that goal. I will put a butterfly on top of my vision board on top of that goal.
What I love about the Day Designer agenda, specifically on their Single Day Planner is that I get a whole page to break down those big goals into smaller manageable goals and I get to just focus on one day, instead of looking at the whole week ahead which can at times feel overwhelming.
I will go more into detail on my goals for 2024 on my YouTube video and I will go over the agendas that I will be using for the year.
Hope this helps
Xo, Adi
