If you are anything like me, when I am setting a goal, I have to think about it for more than just a day. The goal has to be well thought out and it has to align with what I really want. I know the ultimate question “What do you want?” But to set any goal into motion, you have to know what the outcome is going to be. You need to know what it is you are working towards or what your goal is.

What do you want to reach for in life?

Sometimes this is the hardest question to answer. We often go through life drifting with an effort in pursuit that leads to nowhere. We continue to move through life with daily motions from day to day with no fulfillment or feelings of achievement because we haven’t answered the hardest question.

What do you want?

We lack confidence and we fear failure before we actually never reach for the things we want. We stop chasing the dream before we even start. This can be a spiraling effect and an easy one to get wrapped up in. Because to be honest, reaching for any goal is not always the easiest thing.

You know deep down it is going to take work and sometimes we are not sure we have it inside of us. This is where the overwhelmingness of goal chasing comes in. We begin to focus on the big picture vs the small day to day wins.

To create a successful goal, you actually have to focus on the small wins before you can reach for your big north star. You need a plan! You need to bring meaning and a purpose into your day! You need to build confidence, a sense of accomplishment, and a vision of the big picture to life!

It all starts with you and what you want!

Now before we start chasing the stars in our rocket ship, we do need to do one small thing. We need to look at this past year in review. I know, I know we are trying to move forward not backwards, but hear me out for a minute. To know where you are going, you have to know where you’ve been! Cheesy I know and I am almost positive it came from a movie but it’s true.

So I want you to ask yourself, what worked last year? What went well? What didn’t go so well? Try to look at your past year and decide the things you want to continue into next year and the things that need to change.

These feelings you are already feeling are normal.

It is okay to look at what didn’t work but that is just you being honest with yourself and bringing awareness. We can use that to push forward to the next year and what you want to accomplish!

At the end of the day you deserve this!

You deserve to lead a life of fulfillment. You deserve your own happiness, success, and life of abundance. You need to believe it is possible!

Now the big question, What goal do you want to achieve in 2021? No goal is too big, but let’s make sure it is something that is attainable and realistic. Think about what kind of life do you want today and tomorrow? What do you want to be true in 6 months? Now write it down, don’t just think about it. Put it out into the universe and let the world know.

If we stopped here, your big goals would just feel overwhelming or out of reach.

This is where you plan and then work backwards!

You are going to take your goal and break it into mini goals by either the month or weeks. Be a little flexible here because some mini goals do take a bit longer to grab a hold of. Begin thinking about the small task you can work on each day, each week, and then each month. Write them down in a calendar. Again if you are just thinking about it, it is not always real to you.

Plan for the unknown!

Yes you need to plan for the obstacles that may or may not happen because life is going to happen. Things are going to get in your way and you need a plan for them. Look at your calendar for next year. What things are already on your calendar that you need to consider? Holidays, birthdays, trips, anniversaries, you name it, there is always something. Do not use these an excuse but rather a way to learn something new about yourself. How can you handle these life events and still work towards your goal? Have a plan for your road blocks!

This is where your focus and motivation are going to come in. Some days you will have them and other days you won’t. The key is to just show up! It doesn’t have to be perfect as long as you are trying. The goal is to set up routines with solid habits in place to ensure you stay on track. There will be days when you don’t want to do it, I promise you that! But the more you have these habits in your routine, the more likely you are to succeed!

As you deal with these obstacles or distractions, plan to also review and revise.

Sometimes the plan needs a little adjustment along the way and that is okay. Sometimes the strategies you have in place are just not working like you had hoped or maybe you found a better way. This is growth within yourself and one of the biggest rewards of reaching any goal!

Learn about who you are and who you want to become! Now work every day and set goals to become that person!