With only a few  days left in 2016, it is the PERFECT time for  goal setting and planning!

 

 

The last couple weeks of the year are a great time to visualize, plan, and make some BIG goals for the year ahead.

 

Follow the steps and tips below to define your goals, break them down, and plan what you are going to do everyday to achieve your goals next year!

 

REFLECTIONS – SUCCESS + FAILURE

Take a moment to look back on the past year and pat yourself on the back for your successes and reflect on your failures.

 

Remember: A huge part of every success story is failure. Instead of fearing failure or avoiding it all together, try embracing it.

 

A huge part of every success story is failure. Goal Setting + Planning tips for 2017 Click To Tweet

 

Consider each failure a learning experience and expect to fail at new things. Let failure be a part of your journey when you try new things. Don’t let failure stand in your way. Fail enthusiastically and keep going.

 

If you aren’t failing every now and then, you probably are not learning much.

 

PREP WORK – WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT?

Putting the time in to do the prep work is important to any success.

 

Your passion shines through when you talk about something you are truly excited about and committed to.

 

If you are not living the life that brings you the most growth, joy, passion, and contribution, what is stopping you from doing so? Excuses and resistance often stand in the way.

 

MINDSET – YOUR WHY

The first step to achieving your goals for next year – whatever they may be (health and fitness, work, business, relationships, family, or personal) – is digging deep to understand WHY that goal is important to you.

 

A goal is useless unless you know WHY it is important to you.

 

A goal is useless if you don't know WHY it is important to you. #goalsetting Click To Tweet

 

One of my goals for 2017 was to create and launch a 6-week transformation program in the fitness facility I work for (my first one begins on January 7).

 

The program is not important to me because I like fitness or thought it would be a good idea or just because it is my job to offer unique programs at my club. While those are all a part of the why – it is not really WHY creating the program is important to me.

 

I decided to create a 6-week transformation program because I want opportunities to make more money, spend less hours in the gym, and spend more time at-home with my family. My WHY is my family. And that is so important to me that I will stop at nothing to reach my goals.

 

There will be days you are tired or lazy or question what the point of a goal was anyway. Days you want to just give up. Knowing WHY you started will help you not to quit.

 

MINDSET – YOUR LENS

A professional finds success in any door they take. An amateur procrastinates on which door to take.

 

The time is never going to “just right.” The program is never going to be perfect. We are never REALLY ready. But our inadequacies are just our perception. No one is perfect, no one has the perfect plan. We are all just figuring it out as we go!

 

The glass can be half empty or half full. Life can be better or worse, but that’s determined by your perspective. You and your perspective are the lens of the world that creates your reality.

 

Change your lens and you’ll change your reality.

 

PLAN – VISUALIZE

Visualize where you want to be in one year and what you want this next year to look like. What would your PERFECT day be like?

 

Ever hear the saying, “if you think you can, you can, if you think you can’t, you can’t”?

 

This is why athletes visualize their win before a big game. Muhammad Ali saw himself victorious long before the actual fight. And Michael Jordan always took the last shot in his mind before he ever took one in real life. (source)

 

Visualizing gives you something to work towards and allows you to recognize what you want when you see it.

 

If you can’t even picture yourself being extremely successful and reaching your goals, then chances are you never will.

 

PLAN – WRITE THINGS DOWN

Writing your goals down helps you focus on them, remember them, gives you direction, and helps you to understand yourself and your goals a little better.

 

A written goal is also a powerful reminder that can keep you on right track when you feel like quitting.

 

“When you write down your ideas you automatically focus your full attention on them. Few if any of us can write one thought and think another at the same time. Thus a pencil and paper make excellent concentration tools.” – Michael Leboeuf

 

Looking for a planner to reach your big goals, keep yourself accountable, and remember what the heck you are supposed to do every day?!

 

I absolutely love this planner from J. Lynn Designery.

 

It is so pretty, multi-functionable, and super sturdy. 

 

There is a section at the beginning to plan out your quarterly goals for 2017, inspirational messages on each weekly calendar, and a bunch of white pages in the back for notes, lists, etc. 

 

{Note: I met Jenna from J. Lynn Designery through my recent Holiday Shape Up Challenge and after looking at her beautiful planners online, I decided to take part in her plan-bassador program. This just means that I received her REFRESH Planner for 50% off in exchange for a feature on my blog and Instagram. All opinions are my own and I totally stand behind this fantastic product. I’ve gotten a jump-start on planning my goals and year for 2017 – and thanks to this pretty planner – I feel super organized and stylish! I am not an affiliate and get no commission or credit if you decide to purchase one of Jenna’s awesome planners}

 

Ideas don’t stay for long – write them down so you remember them. PLAN for 2017 -> #JLynnDesignery Click To Tweet

 

PLAN – QUARTERLY GOALS + THEME

Many people fail at New Year’s Resolutions because they have no plan.

 

I want to lose 10 pounds or I want to have a successful business... Those are great to strive for, but HOW are you going to get there?

 

You have to break your goals down into smaller, attainable goals and put your efforts into the day-to-day actions that will get you closer to your bigger goals.

 

Break your year into quarterly goals, pick a focus or theme word for the first 90 days, and start working on them RIGHT NOW.

 

Nicole Culver shared this tip in her Planning Party a few weeks ago and I loved the questions she asked participants so much that I wanted to share them here with you….

 

What will your first 90 days be about? What goal do you want to accomplish?

What will be your word to describe your first 90 day theme? (examples: growth, revenue, community)

 

Let this word guide you and provide direction in the day-to-day.

 

My word for the first quarter of 2017 is SERVE. I chose this word because I want to take a step back and let the next 90 days revolve around getting to know my community and clients better, over delivering, and learning from them.

 

GOALS – FOCUS

All greatness is achieved through FOCUS. Just like a muscle, focus can be improved on overtime as long as you manage and measure it.

 

Stay focused on ONE thing at a time.

 

Big Goals –> Quarterly goals –> Weekly tasks/projects -> Daily tasks

 

All greatness is achieved through FOCUS. #goalsetting Click To Tweet

 

GOALS – ENJOY THE PROCESS

Planning and visualizing are great, but if you aren’t actually going to DO THE WORK, they are pointless.

 

Write down 3 tasks in the beginning of the week that you will do to get you closer to each goal. This takes the questions, emotions, and decision making out of the equation – just go do it!

 

Write down 1-3 items to do every day and do them first. Don’t let a big task or project hang over your head. Focus on the most important things that will move you closer to your goals.

 

GOALS – QUALITY + DEPTH

Small is the new BIG. Whatever you find to do, wherever your path has lead you up until this point, focus on doing the things right in front of you with quality and depth.

 

Remember: Good things come out of hard things.

 

Keep going and have a kick-butt 2017!!

 

GOAL SETTING WORKSHOP

I am going to be running a 5 day Goal Setting Workshop in my Fitness Blogging Mastermind Facebook Group next week (beginning Monday, January 2).

 

It includes a  post each day to help you focus on your BIG goals for the year, break them down into smaller monthly goals, write out actionable tasks to do in January, and stay accountable!

 

If you are a health and fitness blogger, come join us in the Facebook Group here -> 5 day Goal Setting Workshop on Facebook

 

 

Let’s Chat

What are your goals for the first quarter of 2017?

If you had to pick a WORD for the first quarter, what would it be??