Happy New Year – What do you hope to achieve in 2024?

"If you don't like where you are, what are you willing to do differently to get to where you want to be?" Mary Patry

My wish is that everyone is or has enjoyed the Holidays. It is often a hectic period with little time to pay attention to our needs. That should soon change!   With the December holidays behind us, we can now focus on the New Year and welcome in 2024.

I love starting each new year. It is a time to start fresh, leave the last year behind, and focus forward. It is the perfect time to create goals by updating your performance or personal life plans. Some tend to find goal-setting daunting. It will be less so if you consider it your plan, your road to a fantastic year. 

Let me help you with 18 questions for setting EXTRAORDINARY and ACHIEVABLE  goals.

EXTRAORDINARY Goals are:

• Outcome-focused:  Once you understand your WHY (and it's an enthusiastic WHY), you're 90% there!

• In line with your values:  The more a goal aligns with your inner or core values, the EASIER it will be to achieve. NOTE:  We can achieve goals that don't align with our values but will be more challenging and less satisfying.

• Stated in the positive: i.e., "I want healthy fingernails" rather than "I want to stop biting my nails."

• and SMART:

• Specific (you know exactly what you're trying to achieve)

• Measurable (you know when you've reached it!)

• Action-oriented (you can DO something about it!)

• Realistic (it IS achievable)

• Time-Bound (has a deadline)

Focusing on the Outcome:

1.  What is it that you WANT? Dig deep…

2.  What is the SPECIFIC outcome you're looking for? What will it look like? How will it feel?

3.  What is the PAIN for you for NOT achieving your goal? How will failing to achieve the goal make you feel?

Aligning with your Values:

4. Does this goal align with your life vision/overall life plan? (Don't know - what does your gut tell you?)

5.  Is this goal in line with your values? (Unsure? Ask yourself what's important to you in life - will this goal help you achieve more of that?)

6.  Are the goals you truly want, or do you think you SHOULD have or SHOULD be doing? (Tip:  If it is a SHOULD, it may be someone else's dream…)

7.  When you think about your goal, does it give you a sense of deep contentment or 'rightness,' happiness, and excitement? (If so, these are good signs that it's a healthy goal.)

8. Would you take it if you could have the goal RIGHT NOW? (If not, why not? What issues are there?)

9.  How does this goal FIT into your life/lifestyle? (Time/effort/commitments/who else might be impacted?)

Identifying Obstacles:

10.  Can you START and MAINTAIN this goal/outcome? (i.e., Do you have complete control over achieving it?)

11.  How will making this CHANGE affect other aspects of your life? (i.e., What else might you need to deal with?)

12.  What's good about your CURRENT SITUATION? (i.e., What's the benefit of staying right where you are?) Then, ask, how can I keep those good aspects while STILL making this change?

13.   What might you have to GIVE UP or STOP doing to achieve this goal? (Essentially, what's the price of making this change – and are you willing to pay it?)

14.  Might there be if there was SOMETHING important about achieving this goal (to help you succeed or that could get in the way) that you haven't mentioned yet?

15. Who will you have to be to achieve this goal?

16.  Goal Sizing – Give your goal a RANGE so you can't fail to achieve it!

•  Is your goal the RIGHT size to be working on? Too big? Break it down into smaller goals. Too small? Fit it into a larger goal.

• What would be the MINIMUM/Super-Easy level of the goal to achieve?

• What would be your TARGET level of the goal to achieve?

• What would be your EXTRAORDINARY level of the goal to achieve?

Resources – GET MOVING

17.  What RESOURCES do you already have to help you achieve your goal? Make a list! (e.g., things, support from people, contacts, personal qualities, knowledge, skills, money, time, etc.)

18.  What RESOURCES do you NEED to help you achieve your goal? Make a list! Don't let resistance to asking for help get in the way of your dreams.

IMPORTANT:  REMEMBER – GOALS are there to INSPIRE YOU, not to beat yourself up with. Call me if you need help!

I wish you all a fantastic New Year! 

Until next time, enjoy what is left of your holiday week! We will talk in the New Year!

Warm Regards,
Mary