Status Check - New Year Goals

Where Are You in Your Goal Plans?


June 1 is the perfect mid-year point for a goal check! We're a tad past that and on the downhill slide of the year, but any time is a good time to check on goal progress—take stock and reset as needed.

First Question - Are You Even a Goal Setter?
Not everyone is! I do my best to come up with a few (and only a few!) focused goals for a given new year, but I invariably fall off the rigorous bandwagon. My independent "roll with the punches" nature struggles to maintain daily goal tracking. I've tried. Multiple times.

A more fluid quarterly (at most) check works better for me to ensure I'm at least flowing in the right direction. So let it be said - no shame for not being a goal setter!



No Time Like the Present!
There's also no calendar you need to be tied to. So it's not January 1. You can start any time in the year that suits you, even if it's completely random such as July 31! Simply start with today, whatever day that is. 

NOW What?
There are a thousand-and-one Goal Gurus who will be happy to sell you their philosophy on how to best achieve your goals. You've likely tried a few of those! 

I'm a big fan of the KISS principle - Keep It Simple, Stupid! You know best how your brain works for how to create and monitor goals and keep yourself on track. 

• Jon Acuff is a "goal guru" I follow who has some great ideas about goals. I fell off the daily tracking wagon after a few months last year, but his basic categories are a useful framework for reference.
• April Perry of Learn. Do. Become. suggests no more than 8 goals at any one time (too many for me) and bases hers on Me, Family, and Beyond. (I think my speed is more like no more than one in each category!)
• I've even caught recent podcasts advocating for only one "big, hairy, audacious goal" (thank you, Jim Collins) and all other smaller goals work toward that one. 
• You may prefer a few categories for your goals such as Personal, Finance, Health, Work, Volunteer, or Family for how your goals resonate for you. I need more focus to make any progress in this regard!

What's Next?
You've got your goals, either from earlier this year or just created. Now comes the tracking piece. 

• ​Spreadsheets - numbers across the top (calendar/date reference, new tab by month), simple yes/no one/zero number sum at the end of a month. How often did you put in time toward your goal?
• Journaling - leave yourself notes on your progress
• Win Jar - this is more for visual folks where you drop a penny, bead, or something in a jar to show "did something" toward your goal to reward yourself with a treat once full or see how successful you've been. Think "swear jar" as a reference point. It can be as mason jar simple or fancy as you'd like! Pinterest and Amazon are your friends here. 

How's It Going!
Those ideas help get you started if you haven't tackled goals for the year yet but would like to. 

For those who have set goals, how's progress! Are you making gains in work/life balance? Health? Financial? Family focus? Social or even Spiritual? 

Personal Report
My goals this year have been more about maintaining what's working to stay consistent with a few new ones thrown into the mix. 

• Maintaining consistency
  • Health - daily walk: generally on track with only slight modifications in distance and timing to accommodate local conditions. (* I'm writing this in July in Phoenix, AZ - it's 110 degrees this week so walks have shifted to extra early, in the dark, and occasionally slightly less if needed for sleep + work timing)
  • Work/life balance - nightly cross-stitch: helps me unwind before bed. Aiming to improve on this one, tough for me to maintain as I work later than I should many nights.
  • Work - weekly blog posts: this has finally become real this year thanks to committing a time to go to a co-working session at a local library. Added bonus: social + networking opportunity! 
• New this year
  • Work - monthly business newsletter: in process but hasn't happened yet. I'm fighting procrastination and perfectionism on this one and need to just get started, heeding the advice I give clients! Time is also a factor - maybe I need another locked in the calendar co-working session to make steady regular progress rather than hold myself to one long marathon session. Working on a business rebrand with a client load is holding up newsletter production as well. In process with lots of thoughts!
  • Health - add weight training or balance work to daily walks: not happening at all at this time. Likely time to admit defeat and move on for now—try again in the future. Layering more exercise on top of the daily walks I enjoy is too much.
  • Family/Home - transition a craft room into a sitting room for my college kids: after a year of not touching this project, Daughter #2 poked me at just the right time to take action on this. Pleased with the progress made over one weekend. Now to find ways to continue to inspire myself to keep going.

Status Check - Your Turn!
Love to hear how your year is going, with or without goals! Are you making progress toward reaching your dreams in personal or work life? Let's Chat by email or connect on LinkedIn to message! I'm here to cheer for you!

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