How to Meet Those Yearly Goals Everyone is Talking About

by Sparkle Abbey

We love the fresh start of a new year! With 2020 in the rear-view mirror, a fresh start has never felt more important than it does right now. We are strong believers that our present path doesn’t have to determine our final destination but can represent where we started. And we’re starting with a clear vision of what we want out of 2021.

For those of you who have followed us, you know we LOVE to set goals. Not just writing goals, but spiritual, health, personal, financial, and career goals, too. We’ve talked about the importance of setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) in the past, so this time we’d like to share some tips that help us keep on track with achieving our goals. Because honestly, setting the goal is the easy part. Following through is a challenge.

 1.       Write Them Down

We do mean, write. There’s something to be said about handwriting your goals that helps you visualize what you want to accomplish. And if you’re like us, without writing them down, you’re bound to forget by the end of the month. When you see those goals in writing it helps you focus. There’s a fascinating article about the psychology of writing down goals that explain the relationship between writing down goals and achieving them better than we can. Take a quick minute and check it out.

2.       Tell Someone

It’s all about accountability. Share your goals with someone. We all need a cheerleader in our corner to motivate us to keep going when we’re tired or discouraged.

3.       Do Something Every Day

You’ve heard the saying before, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” It’s similar to meeting your goal. You meet goals by taking one step at a time. For a financial goal, that can be as simple as putting $1 a day into an envelope, or instead of buying that latte, Venmo that money to your savings account. If it’s a fitness goal, schedule a twenty-minute meeting with yourself to take a walk. You get the idea.

4.       Accept That You Will Have A Setback

Hey, life happens. All you have to do is remember 2020. Enough said. When you have a setback, readjust and don’t feel guilty about it. The time you spend feeling guilty is time you could have spent towards reaching your goal.

5.       Check-in

Remember when we said to tell someone? This is where you check-in with that person or persons and hold yourself accountable. What did you do to get yourself closer to your goal? What worked? What didn’t? Maybe they can offer some advice if what you’re doing isn’t working the way you had envisioned.

6.       Celebrate Your Successes

When you reach that goal, make sure you take the time to celebrate. Rewards, big or small, will help you stick to your goals. Pro tip: don’t let the reward set you back from meeting other goals. If you’re trying to improve your fitness and diet, don’t celebrate your new promotion or outstanding book sales on a couple of margaritas. Maybe have a vodka with club soda and a squeeze of lime. Just sayin’.

We hope these tips work for you. Now go forth and conquer 2021. We believe in you!

Sparkle Abbey is actually two people, Mary Lee Ashford and Anita Carter, who write the national best-selling Pampered Pets cozy mystery series. They are friends as well as neighbors so they often get together and plot ways to commit murder. (But don't tell the other neighbors.) 

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