Where does the idea of New Year’s Resolutions come from?
Being someone who has an ongoing To Do List, I’ve never really succumbed to the annual resolution-making routine. Throughout the year I’m constantly revising what I want to achieve. I don’t need the clean slate of turning over a new calendar page to inspire me.
This year, for my freelance writing business I’ve been working on a more thorough business plan. That easily leads to trying my hand at starting the year with listing personal annual and quarterly goals.
Some friends start their years with a theme. I came up with “Independence” for 2013. Title in place, the next step is to define what independence means in the context of my coming year. Although money itself is never a goal for me, as a friend once said, what money can bring to my life is a goal. This year I have a financial figure in mind that I want to earn via my writing in 2013. That’s my target. The ways I go about conquering that goal come from a goal sheet I’ve been carting around with me and using in various iterations since at least the 1980s.
Check out International Women’s Day for 2022–what a great theme.
Questions to Ask about Your Goals
- Why do I want to achieve this goal? [Like any good three-year-old who just learned the word, “why,” answering this question is the key to conquering your goal. Why do you want it in the first place?]
- Do I have a deadline for the over arching goal? [Goals without deadlines belong in la-la land, that place Dad lived when he answered the question: Can we get a pony? He would look sincere, despite the twinkle in his eye, and convincingly respond: “Someday.” He knew that someday never comes.]
- What are the obstacles? [List them quickly, so they don’t rattle around in your brain for too long, distracting you or making you live in the realm of the-unknown-scares-me.]
- What steps to get to the goal, attached to completion dates? [Stephen Covey gave me the: “Start with the end in mind,” approach to goal achievement, which clearly applies to steps as well. Write the steps working backward from your main project deadline and plugin each milestone date.]
- Who can help me [people or groups] with my goal? [“I get by with a little help from my friends,” is my mantra. I have wonderful people in my life who let me help them; who also help me. I’ve joined various groups for various reasons. Who in each of those areas best matches up with this goal?]
- Does my goal have a budgetary amount attached to it? [Business goals always have budgets, but think about your other goals: is there a budget attached to them as well?]
- Who will I invite to hold me accountable to hitting my targets for this goal? [Where would we be without accountability? I have several key players in my life who guilt and cajole me into doing what I want to do anyway. I promise I’ll be inviting them on board again this year.]
- You wrote the goal in the beginning, but now answer the question: How will my life change WHEN I achieve this? [Take several minutes to sit quietly, eyes closed, breath calm, and think about this in a very concrete, living-in-the-moment way. What is going to be different when I complete this target? Open your eyes and write it down.]
And my final note…
Post this worksheet right in front of your eyes—place it where you can’t help but notice it every day. Then, every so often, change it. Print it on a different color paper, update the objective’s milestones, move it just a tinge to the left or to the right. Don’t let it become stale!
I would love to be one of your accountability partners, so if you need one more, count me in!
Happiest of all New Years to you!
*
Read: Plan Backwards
I love Patty’s idea of having a theme for the year! And I love your questions about goals. Patty and Rose – how does a personal mission statement (do you do/recommend such a thing?) impact goals and themes?
I have created a personal mission statement in the past (part of being a FranklinCovey certified trainer), but I must admit I let it fall to the wayside over the years. I think it’s good to write out the over-arching goal for life because then it steers you in the right direction. Off the top of my head, mine might be something like the epithet I’d have on a tombstone if I were having a tombstone: Istigator. Followed by the things I wish to be accused of instigating in life: fun, adventure, goodness, great writing, far-reaching friendships…oh man, you started it now!
Rose,
Great article and I love the idea of an accountability partner, just don’t like people holding me accountable. LOL
I think it is a great process and will work on instituting the ideas myself and I may take you up on holding me accountable.
Great job,
Jenn
That darned accountability, Jennifer. Gets us every time! I like your blog editorial calendar–we can apply the same process to our goals, can’t we?
What a great one-sentence description!
I’ve been getting off the ground when it comes to freelancing, so this information is greatly appreciated. Being able to print things out and make lists always makes things much more concrete and achievable as opposed to just thinking about them. Thanks.
Terrific, Jeri! Good luck with the freelancing and I hope the forms help you. Let me know how it goes! Off to read your blog.
I think the most important point you make here is about a time limit. Many people decide to make new years resolutions that are broad and could last the whole year- this makes them much less likely to achieve them. Breaking resolutions down into small goals with time limits makes them easier to manage and achieve.
You are so right, Kelly. Big goals can only be tackled when we chunk them out. Just like building muscles, which is one of my goals. I’m progressing from some exercises I’ve only been able to do with 5lb weights to 8lb and 10! Yahoo. Good luck with your Goals!
Rose, I’m so glad I found your blog on LinkedIn. I’m also self employed am quite goal oriented. I often get scattered along the way. I’ve downloaded your goal sheets and eager to give them a try. Thanks so much!!
Terrific, Julie, let me know if they help you. Self-employment = goal-oriented, doesn’t it? We have to be since we don’t have bosses making us do things! (I totally get the scattered part. It’s work to keep my desk in line with my brain. Or maybe in better shape than my brain!).
This blog gives me the heebie jeebies. I am not a goal oriented person and struggle to even have the desire to be. I have a seester and a employer who are both very goal minded. And then there’s always the guilt of not having the goals. Don’t get me wrong, I have day-to-day goals but long-term….writing things down…..makes me shiver just thinking about it. Rose says it is okay tho…she loves me anyway.
You betcha’, Seester! We all work differently. You are MUCH better at living in the moment than I am. That’s probably one of the reasons I like hanging out with you so much. You are in the here and now, while I’m always racing ahead somewhere. Your life-approach is admirable.
Good stuff, Rose! I can’t wait to hold you accountable. This may involve duct tape and a staple gun but I’ll hold you to them somehow or other!
Love,
Your Coach
Ut oh!
Patty, I forgot to add a link to your Coaching information–please feel free to include it here. Let’s see who else can benefit from your tutelage the way I do!