Now that the new year has begun & lots of people are already fizzling out on their lofty but well intentioned resolutions, let’s get real & talk about goals.

I’ll admit, I’m a serial overthinker. I’ve had elaborate goal planning systems that I’ve worked with to varying degrees of success in the past. Even a slight peek in an online search of “goal setting” will overwhelm you with complicated systems that guarantee your success.

Let’s get real. It’s not that serious.

You can’t give yourself a bunch of new stuff to do. You’re not gonna do it. You know this; I know this. It’ll just stress you out & piss you off, even if you have the most efficient execution system on the planet. Just pick something. One thing. Add other things when it won’t piss you off.

With that said, I’d like to share my simplified goal planning system. Feel free to try it out for yourself, & alter it however it would work best for you!

Annual

To start each year, I like to do some journaling & establish a few things :

• Word (or theme) of the year, & why. Of course, this can be changed any time during the year if needed, but I like to have something simple & specific to focus on. Mine trend along the lines of “intention” & “simplify”.
• A few questions :
  • What would you like to do this year?
  • What would you like to have?
  • Who would you like to be?
  • What would be the single coolest thing that could possibly happen this year?
  • What sort of legacy do you want to leave behind when you die?
• What does your ideal life look like? The next level version of you? Consider the roles / areas / buckets of your life (whatever you prefer to call them). – How would you like to show up for these things in your daily life? Do you ideally need more or less of anything specific?
• Create a vision board. Don’t get too crazy. The purpose of a vision board is to remind & inspire you. Only add images that truly resonate with you. Bonus points if you use your own photos!

Periodically

Every couple months I also like to do a “Level 10 Life” & “Role Review”. Beside a list of my life roles, I rate my satisfaction with each on a scale from 1-10, & I will sometimes choose what to work on based on my lower scores. If I feel the need to elaborate, I’ll do a brief review of each role by writing down how I feel (good or bad), why, & what I’d like to improve.

Each of these practices are intended to get you contemplating different goals that you could work on. Could being a key word because you really should only be focused on one thing at a time, so I encourage you to pick something that would have the greatest positive impact on your life, & aligns most with your values. Then…

Plan Your Goals

1. Define the goal. What exactly do you want? What is the ideal end result? Why? Is this a task based project, a habit forming lifestyle change, or both?
2. Create a plan & a system. What action steps can you take to move toward that ideal end result? Only give yourself functional tasks that will contribute real progress toward your goal. What systems or habits can you implement into your daily life to ensure you make consistent progress? And how can you keep yourself accountable?
3. Execute the plan / system.
4. Reflect weekly, and monthly. Ask yourself “Am I making progress here? How, or why not? How can I improve next week / month?” This is an essential step, so don’t skip it!
5. Pivot, if needed.

That’s it. That’s what every single goal planning system boils down to. Don’t worry that you’re forgetting something – If it’s important, you’ll realize that & pivot thanks to your regular reflections! Just live your fucking life, & don’t overcomplicate it. (There’s a good goal idea!)

What would you like to work on this year? Let me know in the comments below – Maybe I can help!