Setting Goals For A New Year

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You always hear people talking about their New Year’s resolutions. You know how it goes. You think about it and set some for yourself. The first week of January goes by, things seem to be going well. But then you get to the next week and you either get too busy or you just forget about your resolutions. That’s why I think it’s better to set goals instead of resolutions.

So how do you go about making goals for yourself? There are different ways that work for different people. One of the most popular ways is to make S.M.A.R.T. goals.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

I have had so many goals and dreams over the years. Unfortunately, I haven’t accomplished as many as I had hoped. The key to making a goal is writing it down. S.M.A.R.T. Goals are even better! What’s a S.M.A.R.T. goal, you ask? It stands for:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Relevant

Time Bound

So for an example, a S.M.A.R.T. goal for this blog would be to Increase my traffic (specific) by 100% (measurable) by the end of the year (time-bound) by consistently posting once a week and networking with other bloggers (attainable and relevant).

Another example would be I want to lose 50 lbs (specific and measurable) by April 30th (time-bound), by making healthier choices, drinking more water and exercising more (attainable and relevant).

What are some of your S.M.A.R.T. goals for this year?

Getting Into A Goal Setting Mindset

As a Christian woman, I have to focus my mind on the things God would want for my life. I don’t want to make selfish goals or superficial goals. I want my life to matter. For years I have just been existing. I know that God has bigger plans for me. Lately, I have been reading the Bible more and praying that God will give me focus. I am seeking the Lord’s plan for my life. This can be an important step in making goals for the new year!

How are you seeking God’s Will for your life?

Word for the Year

A lot of people have been choosing a word for the year to focus on. I love this concept as it can really tie the whole year together. Two years ago my word was Intentional. I wanted to make sure that I was being mindful of my choices and my actions. Last year my word was Joy. I’m still kind of working on this. I haven’t felt joyful much in the last couple of years. I’m probably going to pick another word for this year (haven’t yet!) but I will also be focusing on Joy too. I know that God wants me to be not just happy, but joyful. If you have any suggestions on finding joy, I would love to hear them!!

Write Your Goals Down

Writing your goals down makes them so much more feasible. It gives you a specific list to work on. And really, if you don’t write them down, are they really goals? I think Diana Scharf said it best.

“Goals are dreams with deadlines.”

I found this cool planner that is designed to help people with their goals. It’s got great quotes and even places to track habits and your mindset!

So write your dreams down and give them deadlines. You’ve just set goals! I pray that you find focus to fulfill your dreams Goals!

Feel free to share your goals with us!

 

 

Sarah is a thirty-something southern gal from Nashville TN. She is married to Matthew. She loves reading, scrapbooking, photography, blogging, movies, etc. She is close with her family, and has the absolute best friends anyone could ever ask for! She is a stay at home wife, an entrepreneur, an artist and an avid reader. Learn more here.