The start of a new year is often a great time to think about ways in which you want to grow personally over the next twelve months and build an even better life.

When thinking about goals, consider different areas of your life where you would like to improve. While common goals are health and fitness-related, other categories of goals include mental health, work-life balance, academic/intellection, social/lifestyle, travel, finance, family, relationships, and so on. Think intentionally about setting goals in three to five areas of your life and write them down in a place where can easily come back to them regularly.

Below are Five Key Strategies for Setting and Achieving your personal goals in 2023.

1. Reflect on your successes and challenges in 2022. Embrace any wins, and then look back at what difficulties or pain points you encountered, along with what lessons were learned. If you are striving for a better life, it’s important to learn from challenges and turn them into growth-producing opportunities. It’s no fun making the same mistakes over and over again, year after year.
2. Create SMART goals. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. Generic goals like “drink less” or “be healthier” are vague and difficult to track and measure. Smart goals might be:

• • Go to the gym on average 3-4 times per week.
  • Only drink alcohol on weekends unless on vacation, and keep it to 3 drinks or less per day.
  • Reduce my soda intake to once a month.
  • Reduce my daily anxiety levels by 30%.
  • Save $2000 per month.
  • Read one new book per month.
  • Find a better job and apply to 3 jobs per month.
  • Join a yoga studio and go to 2 classes per week.
  • Plan my trip to Paris by February 2nd.

3. Connect each goal to a powerful WHY that aligns with your values and vision for the future. Connecting your goals to a powerful WHY will help fuel your motivation. Why do you want to cut back on alcohol, eat healthier, or save money? What will it mean to you to achieve that goal, and how will your life be better or different? You will be more likely to follow through and persevere when you encounter roadblocks.
4. Write your goals down and share them with someone. Sharing your goals AND enlisting support from your partner, a family member, or a friend will help you stay accountable.
5. Assess your progress at least every month and if necessary, adjust them along the way. Maybe your goal was unrealistic, you aimed too high, or unanticipated curveballs got in the way. Should you give up and consider defeat? Never! Readjust and recalibrate your goals as time goes on. And, don’t forget to celebrate your wins along the way.

Bottom Line: Setting goals at the beginning of the year is a great way to set yourself up for a rewarding and fulfilling year ahead.

Need help achieving your goals? Reach out today.