It’s that time of year again, I know - it’s a lot -, everyone is talking about “goals”. For some, this is a September activity, for some it’s all about the 1st of January. Honestly, in my opinion you can set your goals on any day of the year, but I like to use those lost days between Christmas and New Year to reflect a little.

It also helps that my birthday is in January, so January for me has always been a double “new year”. I’m a firm believer in goals. I’m a firm believer in manifestation. I’m a firm believer in growth. I personally get anxious when I feel stagnant or my life isn’t on the track I want it to be on. How do I know what I want? Because I reflect on it.

How do I set my new year goals?

Step 1. Brainstorm

Anything and everything goes here. What do you hope for, what do you need, what do you want in your year that will bring you JOY? It doesn’t even have to be for this year necessarily, but let’s at least get it on paper if you want to own a house one day or run the 6 majors.

Step 2. Categorise

Do some of your goals share a theme? Group them together, e.g. love and relationships, finance, health and fitness, personal development and learning, and so on.

Step 3. Make them SMART

Yes, yes, we’ve all heard of SMART goals at work or at school, but honestly it’s the way forward. Double check those statements and reword them to make sure they’re Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.

I also like to write these as “I” statements: I have clear skin by March, I am Global Marketing Manager at company by year, I run a 1’48 half marathon in 2024, and so on.

Step 4. The ACTIONS

So you’ve got your hopes and dreams, how are you going to get there? This is where it now starts to matter what you want to achieve more specifically in 2024. So you want to buy a house by a certain age, what steps are you going to take this year to get there?

Take each SMART goal and write down the actions you’re going to complete this year to achieve it. Break it down into mini actions, e.g. set up a direct debit to save € each month; book a monthly facial; make a plan each month to see that friend, etc.

Step 5. Make it happen

This is where I take it all and put it in a spreadsheet. I’m a millenial, I like a bit of both - let me write it all out to brainstorm, but then you best believe I’ll be checking my Excel to update my progress. Alternatively, writing it out on my phone also works so it’s always there to check. However, some people might like to write it in their journal or even put the list on their wall. Whichever format works for you, write it all out neatly and let’s get to work.

This is how I’ve done it for a few years now and it really helps to get some clarity on where I’m going and what I’m doing. And of course, you can adapt as the year goes on, some things become more or less of a priority as you evolve throughout the year, but you can always go back to your list to keep making sure you’re doing what it takes.

Need some extra motivation?

Here are two podcasts that will inspire you to be your best self because, after all, the secret to success is consistency and purpose.

“Quién cada día no es mejor, pronto deja de ser bueno,” hablo con Alejandra de Andrés (ESP)

Productivity, work-life integration and visualising your goals with Kira Jones (EN)

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Muchas gracias siempre por escuchar el podcast y si te gusta, no olvides de compartirlo.

Besos,
Amy xxx