New Year. New Goals. New You.
WAIT.
Sis, have you even reflected on last year? Have you reflected on the lessons, the losses, the accomplishments, and the not-so-great moments? I know we want to rush into the new year with a breath of fresh air and never look back on the past, but it’s so important to reflect on how far you’ve come and the progress you’ve made before entering a new season. So, before you start setting those new goals, let’s do an inventory check of last year.
FINANCES
Did you get a new job and hit your salary goal?
Did you save up for the car, apartment, or the luxury item you’ve been wanting?
Did you get serious about your finances and start investing?
If not, it’s okay. Brush it off and let’s try again next year. Use this time to reflect on what didn’t go right and develop a new game plan to tackle your finances next year. Maybe you need to start small and take it one day at a time or look at your financial goals one month at a time. Decide what works best for you and stick to it!
FITNESS AND WELLNESS
Did you become a fitness guru and the gym became your second home?
Did you create a workout plan and actively stick to it?
What are your meals looking like? Is it an adequate amount of greens and vegetables or were you shacking up on donuts, sweets, and coffee?
Congratulations if you accomplished your fitness and wellness goals! If you didn’t, let’s develop a new strategy. If you want to get in your ideal shape, no more skipping the gym and going to town on foods that won’t fuel you with energy and have a positive effect on your body.
PERSONAL
Were you filling yourself up with positive self-talk and affirmations?
Did you invest in new hobbies and actually do things for fun?
Did you devote time into a spiritual practice like praying, meditating, etc.?
Your personal goals and routine are the foundation for a happy and healthy year. You can’t set goals and achieve them if you believe you’re not worthy and let self-doubt consume you. You have the power to pivot and change your life, but it starts with positive thinking and affirming yourself. There is so much power in the tongue. And if you need extra support, maybe you need to tap into the spiritual realm and connect with God, Source, the Universe, or whoever you believe in and look up to.
You can continue to do this inventory checklist for other areas of your life including relationships, career, etc. The more honest you can be with yourself and your current situation now, the better off you’ll be in the future. Once you complete this, you can move onto goal setting.
The key behind actually achieving your goals in the new year is to be intentional.
Intentional: Stresses an awareness of an end to be achieved.
A synonym for intentional is deliberate.
Deliberate: Implies full consciousness of the nature of one’s act and its consequences.
You need to have an end goal in mind, but also understand WHY you want it and HOW you will achieve it. Let’s say you want to lose weight for example.
First, ask yourself why you want to lose weight. This is where your previous reflection comes in handy. When you come up with your specific reasons, you’re emotionally attached to your goal and you're going to push yourself to see results.
Next, set a specific intention or goal to lose weight. For example, “I want to lose 20 lbs before the year ends.”
Now how will you accomplish this? By setting actionable steps. “I will make sure I eat fruits or vegetables with every meal. I will exercise at the gym every day at 6 pm.” The more reasonable and fixed you are with your goals, the more likely you are to stick with them and accomplish what you want.
By creating a detailed plan and having the motivation behind it, you’ll reach your goals in no time. You should also remember that this is all part of your journey and you need to value progress over perfection. Will there be days where you have minor setbacks and won’t feel like hitting your goals? Absolutely. Remember to give yourself grace and rest when necessary.
It’s also a good idea to have a game plan for when this does happen. Maybe you can create a vision board so you can envision and feel your goals when you feel unmotivated or uninspired. Or you can have a friend to talk to that will hold you accountable throughout this process.
Some other ideas include:
Creating a playlist of YouTube videos, podcasts, and songs that will keep you encouraged and excited
Changing your routine! For example, if your goal is to workout everyday at 6 pm maybe you can try a new workout routine and do something different like yoga, swimming, walking, or another form of physical activity
The point is you can switch it up, take breaks, and do whatever you need to do as long as you remember the end goal. Happy New Year! I’m excited to see what we all accomplish in 2023.
Always On Your Side,
The Content Queens
