7 Clear Steps to Make the Most Out of Your New Year Planning
I don’t like the word “resolution.” When the end of the year comes around, I don’t make resolutions. I make goals. I prefer new year planning to New Year’s Resolutions. There’s so much less pressure when it comes to accomplishing goals over resolutions. Many studies reveal that people quit resolutions within a month of starting them. With that in mind, goals are the better way to go.
And so today I wanted to take you through my new year planning process. I’m going to explain the steps I take to:
Figure out what my goals will be.
How to decide what to focus on each month.
How to make sure I am making progress on them.
Here is the seven-step new year planning method I follow
#1 — Brain dump a list of goals
One of the first things I do as part of my new year planning is to spend 25-30 minutes brain dumping a list of goals. I set my timer for the allotted time and write anything that comes to mind. The goals I write down aren’t always big project goals. They can be something I know I need to do. Or something I’ve been putting off.
Here are some of the goals I recently brain dumped:
Create 2022 blog schedule
Buy new iPad
Update recipe binder
Query OPADJ proposal
Plan next book
Find financial advisor
As you can see some of those goals will take a day to complete. Others will require a few months. Your goal (HA!) during this brain dump is to empty your mind of anything and everything. Include tasks you want to get done, need to get done, or dream about getting done.
#2 — Look back at any old goal lists
Once you’ve completed your brain dump list, it’s time to travel back in time. And by that, I mean looking back at any list of goals you may have around your home. If you don’t have a list, don’t worry. Simply write down things you accomplished this year and things you wanted to, but didn’t.
Do you see any goals on your list that you don’t see yourself doing? Like at all? If yes, cross it off. If a goal or task no longer serves you and your purpose, it’s time to stop thinking about it. On the other hand, if there are any goals or tasks you wanted to do, but haven’t yet, add them to your new list. This way you have all your current goals on one list.
Are there any similar goals? Combine them into one goal. Are there any goals you want to still do, but need a better plan of attack? Add the steps you need to take under said goal for clarity. And, of course, delete any goal that is no longer relevant.
#3 — Pick your top 12 goals
The next part of my new year planning method is to narrow down the number of goals I want to work on. If you thought you were going to accomplish everything you wrote down in a single year, think again. Besides, if your list is more than two pages trying to get all that done in 12 months is going to burn you out.
I like to pick 12 goals to focus on. One for each month. Do I accomplish more than that? Absolutely. But narrowing your list down to 12 is way more manageable than having pages and pages of goals.
When selecting these goals, be realistic. Choose a random bunch that can be accomplished in varying lengths of time. For example:
Choose 4 goals that may take a couple of months. Essentially one large goal for each quarter.
Choose 4 goals that can be completed in a month.
Choose 4 goals that can be completed in a day.
Variety helps planning goals a lot easier.
#4 — Assign each goal a deadline
Now that you have your narrowed-down list, it’s time to assign each of them a deadline. Don’t feel stuck to these deadlines. The new year hasn’t even started yet. You won’t know when certain things are going to happen. These deadlines are simply a starting point.
You don’t even have to give them a specific date. Instead, write the month you would like to see that goal completed. Again, don’t make every deadline December of the following year. Break the deadlines up. Assign two for January, one for February, three for March, and so on. And know that these deadlines will change.
If your schedule tends to be unpredictable plan to accomplish one goal per month. Look at your list and assign it a month to be completed. One is better than none.
#5 — Create a system that will help you achieve those goals
After you’ve assigned each goal a deadline, it’s time to figure out your action plan. For the goals that take a day to complete, figure out what day you’re going to work on that task and stick with it. Put it on your calendar. If you need any supplies for that task, get what you need a few days before.
For larger tasks that require a few weeks and/or months to complete, use reverse engineering to create your action plan. Start backward and ask yourself, “What are the steps I need to do to get this done? And when will I work on these tasks?”
Remember, don’t plan too far in advance. You need to leave room for the unpredictable. When I plan large projects, I don’t plan more than three months out. Even that sometimes is too long. It’s best to say something like this: On the first week of January, I am going to do X, Y, and Z. If I can’t complete Z, I will work on it the following week.
You need to be flexible when planning for the new year because you never know what will happen.
#6 — Evaluate your goals on a monthly and weekly basis
New year planning is more than just writing your goals down and creating a plan of attack. Your goals need constant evaluation. Why? Because what you want in January may not be what you want in June. Your purpose, your mission can change oftentimes before you realize it. When that happens, it’s important to sit down and re-evaluate your goals.
I like to do this on a weekly and monthly basis. At the end of each week, I do a weekly review where I update the status of my goals. I do the same thing at the end of each month. What this does is allow me to see what goals I’m working on more than others. It also shows me if I’m running behind or ahead of the game.
If you come across a goal or two that no longer suits you, stop working towards it. No, you’re not giving up. You’re making room for the more important goals in your life. You can always pick a goal back up again when it better suits you.
#7 — Don’t be afraid to set something aside
Finally, don’t be afraid to set a goal aside. I mentioned this briefly before, but now I want to make sure you know that it’s okay to stop pursuing something. If there’s a goal you really want to accomplish, but you don’t have the means or the bandwidth to take it on right now, set it aside. It’s not going anywhere.
If you’re truly passionate about it, you will return to complete it. You need to remember that you’re human. You can’t expect to keep going, going, going, and not burn yourself out. Goals are great things to work toward, but too many can have you running in different directions. That’s why it’s important to focus on only a handful of goals each year.
Can you start new ones after completing a bunch of the current ones? Absolutely! I have. But again, don’t add too many more if the goals that remain are large projects. Now that you have a bunch of the smaller goals out of the way, now is the time to pour your energy and focus into those big ones.
And make sure that whenever you do complete a goal — no matter how big or small — celebrate it!
New year planning doesn’t have to be complicated. Doing all of the steps listed above doesn’t take me long. I also break it up into sizable chunks. I’ll brain dump one day, create an action plan on another day, and so on. I know I’m one step closer to accomplishing my goals when I work on them a little bit each day.
If you aren’t already following my Instagram, be sure to. I post a lot about my planning process and sneak peeks into my bullet journal where the planning takes place. So if you’re looking for inspiration to create new year goals instead of resolutions, head on over and follow me.
