The year is coming to an end and there’s no better time to start planning some goals for 2022!
Now… You don’t have to wait for January 1st to start working on your goals. As a matter of fact, you don’t even have to wait for Monday!
But we know that with the New Year, there usually also comes an extra boost of motivation and inspiration. So why not make the most of this fresh start to set some new goals?
The thing with goal setting though, is that the initial motivation we feel on January 1st, fades away really quickly and our goals are rarely accomplished.
And that’s exactly why we put together this step-by-step guide to help you make sure you actually plan and achieve your goals this time around!
The Simple Guide To Goal Setting For 2022
1. Reflect On The Past Year
Before you even start thinking of 2022 and all you want to achieve next year, sit down, grab a journal and reflect on the past year.
Start from the very beginning and ask yourself a few questions to determine where you are, what you have achieved and how you are feeling.
These are some questions you can use to help you reflect on your year:
- If you set New Years goals last year, did you achieve them?
- What did you enjoy the most this year?
- What are you most proud of in the past year?
- Do you have any regrets?
- Which are the top 3 lessons you learned?
- What would you like to do less of next year
- What would you like to do more of next year?
These questions will help you gain some clarity before we start goal setting for 2022. Take this as an opportunity to learn and grow. And take a second to congratulate yourself for all that you accomplished during the past year
2. Write Down SMART Goals
Once you have taken some time to reflect on the last 12 months, it’s now time to start thinking what you would like to do next year! At this stage it is very important to be as specific and clear as possible to set yourself up for success. Which is why we all the goals you set should be SMART:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Time-bound
This will help you make sure the goals you set are actually attainable and measurable for you!
So instead of saying “Next year I will be healthier” try something like “Next year I will drink 2lt of water every day” or “Next year I will do a 30 minute workout 3 times a week” or “Next year I will be able to run 10km by July 31st”
The more specific you get, the more likely you are to stick to your goals!
It is also important to prioritize your goals! You don’t need to write down 10 different goals in an attempt to overhaul your entire life. Start with the 3 most important goals, this will give you more time and energy to really achieve all of them!
3. Break Your Goals Into Actionable Steps
Thinking a full year ahead can be daunting. And you might have some big goals that at first sight might feel a little overwhelming.
Which is why the next step is to break down your goals into actionable tasks. Let’s say your goal is to be able to run 10km. Well, how are you going to get there? How often are you going to train? Will you need help from a trainer?
Once you have broken down your goal into smaller actionable tasks, it’s time to set some deadlines for those as well, maybe clarify what you’d like to achieve by the end of each month.
This will help you stay on track and your bigger goals for 2022 will feel less intimidating!
4. Keep Yourself Accountable
Once you have defined your top 3 SMART goals and the steps you’ll need to take to get there, it’s important to hold yourself accountable. There’s two main ways you should do this:
- Write down your goals and game plan somewhere visible.
You can do this by simply hanging them on your wall for you to see every day, or maybe you decide to create a vision board to keep you motivated. If you write down your goals in a notebook you will never open up again, the chances of you achieving them are really slim.
So make sure your goals are posted somewhere visible
- Tell a friend
One of the best ways to keep you on track towards your 2022 goals is simply telling a friend. Tell them what you want to achieve and how you plan on doing it so you can keep them informed on your progress.
5. Set Yourself Up For Success
At this point your goals for 2022 are all set, you know what to do and when to do it to achieve them. So, before the year starts, take some time to set yourself up for success.
Do you need to buy new running shoes to make sure you stick to your running plan? Or maybe you need to do a big clean-up of your fridge to fill it up with more veggies so that eating healthier is even easier next year. Do you maybe need to get a new planner or water bottle?
Do whatever you need to do before the year starts to prep yourself and get your body and mind ready!