Let's talk about setting goals for a minute? I mean, sure, there's the usual New Year's resolution hype, but for us creative souls chasing our dreams and trying to make them pay the bills, goal setting is like our secret weapon. Let’s dive into my effective approach to achieving victories while keeping your creative fire burning.
Less is More: The Yearly Goal Strategy Ah, the fresh start of a brand-new year – the perfect time to declare our grand plans to the universe, right? Well, kind of. I don’t believe you have to wait until January 1st to set your yearly goals. Make them whenever, make a list now of what you want to achieve this year before the 31st of December. But I do make my own goals in January every year and review them the following year.
I've learned that less is more when it comes to setting yearly goals. It’s easy to get carried away and write down everything your heart desires, but life happens, and juggling too many goals can make us feel overwhelmed and unsuccessful. Sometimes I make a draft first, where I just write down everything I would like to work on the following year, without thinking too much. I just jot down whatever comes to mind.
The next step is to choose what to actually go for. I tend to make around 10-15 actual goals. That may sound like a lot, but some of them are teeny tiny. I divide them into themes that really matter to me. We're talking health, life, career, and finance. This way, I'm not just throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks. I'm being intentional.
Quarterly Focus: Because Life Likes to Mix It Up Every quarter, I sit down with my goals and choose which ones to focus on. Some goals are constant, and I need to work on them monthly to achieve them. This could be the goal of walking more than last year. This might seem like vague goal, but it’s easy to check it on your smartphone. In 2023, I had to walk sooo much in December to hit the goal, after having a lazy November (it was extremely cold). But if I didn't have that yearly goal, I would probably be just as lazy as in the previous month.
But then, there are those small things you know you should do, but tend to postpone. Like getting a vaccine shot or going to the dentist for a yearly checkup. These are the goals I pick for the quarter. They're my focused missions, the little bursts of energy that keep me feeling accomplished and on track. Another yearly goal could be “read 12 books”, and then the quarterly goal would be “read 3 books”. Quarter goals is a way of dividing those bigger goals into measurable bite-sized pieces, and know that you're on track to completing the yearly goal.
From Quarters to Months: Refining the Focus I take those quarterly goals and break them down into monthly bites. This allows me to track my progress and ensure that I'm consistently making strides toward the grand finale. I’ve also done weekly goals, and I do so occasionally, but I feel like monthly goals work better for me. This gives me more freedom to choose what I feel like working on! But you might be different, maybe weekly goals are your thing? Perhaps even daily?
The Power of Putting Pen to Paper (or Fingers to Keyboard) I can’t stress enough how important it is to write down your goals. Seriously, this isn't just some productivity myth. When you physically put your goals into words, they become real, tangible things.
Now, you've got options – a digital journal, your trusty notepad on your phone, or even a good old-fashioned paper journal, which I tend to go for, as both my job and most of my hobbies involves a screen. Choose what resonates with you, what makes you feel connected to your goals. There’s no better feeling than marking something as done!
Psst: Want to learn how to make a digital planner for your own use, or to sell on Etsy?
Goals That Are Just Right Let's talk about those vague goals, shall we? You know, the ones that sound nice but leave you wandering in a mist of uncertainty. "Getting healthier" or "working on my blog" might sound great, but how do you know when you've reached your goal? Where's the finish line? How do you know when you've truly won?
Instead of "working on my blog," try "optimizing all my old blog posts for SEO" or "writing one blog post a month." When you complete them, you don't just get a vague sense of accomplishment; you get to bask in the glory of a job well and clearly done.
Psst: Want to find out how you can illustrate your blogpost quickly, so you can hit the "publish" button faster?
Keeping It Real: Authentically You
Here's the real talk, my friend. I'm all about being true to myself, and my goals are no exception. But changing goals mid-year? Absolutely cool. Life happens, and our aspirations might change. I think it's totally fine to change your goal mid-year if something really doesn't resonate with you, as long as you don't fool yourself. Don't fall for the temptation of swapping out the hard stuff for easier things, just because you're afraid of failing.
Goal setting isn't about winning some invisible competition, it's about getting you to where you want to be. And if you don't manage to complete your full list, you'll find out why, and try again with a different approach, if you still want to achieve the particular thing you didn't complete.
How about you? So, there you have it – my effective approach to goal setting. Now I’m curious about you, do you follow a similar strategy, or is yours completely different? Or do you just wing it usually, but feel like starting to set goals?