7 Tips for Setting New Year’s Goals You Actually Want to Achieve

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The new year is coming! It’s that time of year when everyone and their dog talk about goal setting. People start throwing around phrases like, “This will be my year” and “New year, new me.” I have to admit, I am one of those people. There is just something so *fresh* about a new year and setting goals that makes it super exciting. However, it’s also EASY to set New Year’s goals and then give up on them in February (which is what up to 80% of people do)…

So, the question remains – how do you set goals for the new year and not give up on them? The answer is quite simple… set goals you actually want to achieve! 

I won’t lie – the fear of failing can stop a lot of people in their tracks.

You might set the goal but then stop before you even start because…what if you can’t do it?!

I get it! But I promise you, when you start setting goals that excite you and light you up; you won’t be scared of failing. You’ll be scared of not trying. 

So, without further ado, let’s chat about how you can set New Year’s goals that you actually want to achieve and have the best year ever! 

Why New Year’s Goals Fail 

It’s important to remember that goals are easy to set. It can be as simple as thinking about what you want to achieve and deciding those are your goals. The hard part is doing the work to achieve them – which is where most people struggle. 

The beginning of a new year gets people excited and…when you are excited, you sometimes reach a bit too far. 

That could look like setting goals that are simply not realistic or attainable (like wanting to buy a house in a year when you have no money saved) or it could turn out with you setting too many goals. 

Here are a few other reasons New Year’s goals fail:

You’re afraid of failure or success 

Believe it or not, fear of success can be a big contributing factor when it comes to goal failure.

On one hand, being afraid of failure makes sense – no one likes to feel let down or embarrassed when something doesn’t pan out!

However, the fear of success can be more confusing and complicated than that…

You might be scared of how your life will change if you actually achieve your goals.

What if you don’t have as much free time? What if you outgrow your friends?

Being scared of things working out is a real thing!

You weren’t serious about the goals 

Since everyone likes to make New Year’s goals in January and share them with their friends, social media followers, and anyone who will listen, it can become a bit of a bandwagon moment.

The goals you set might have been more surface-level or even things you don’t really care about. Or maybe you set a bigger goal that you don’t think you can even achieve just to have your 1 minute of glory. 

Make sure when you set your goals they are something you actually want and are serious about working on them.

You didn’t have a plan 

“A goal without a plan is just a wish”

– Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Planning is a crucial step in goal setting.

Without a plan, you are kind of stuck in limbo. Where do you start? What is most important? How will you know if you have achieved it?

A big reason your goals fail could be because you set the goals and then just stop there. Where’s your plan to actually make it happen?!

Related: Check out here the “Best Goal-Tracking Apps for Achieving Your Goals this Year”

Your goals were not clear 

It’s really hard to achieve a vague goal.

If your goal is “lose weight”, when will the goal be achieved? After 5 pounds, 15 pounds, 30 pounds? Who is to decide that?

When you have unclear goals it can also be a bit discouraging when you don’t see progress.

However, the reality is –  it’s impossible to see progress when you have no clear path!

You set goals for other people 

This is the ultimate struggle: doing what makes you happy, leaving other people’s opinions and wishes behind. 

If you set goals that will make your mom happy but you have no desire to achieve (like going to school to be a dentist when you really want to be a personal trainer) is going to set you up for failure. 

The amount of care and energy you will put into that goal is lower because it’s not something you truly want. 

📌 SHORT ON TIME? PIN IT FOR LATER! 📌

7 Tips for Setting New Year’s Goals You Want to Achieve 

If you resonated with the reasons above for why your goals fail, that’s okay!

We have all been there and – let’s be real: we will probably be there again, at some point. 

Nobody’s perfect (cue Hannah Montana sing-along) which means we are constantly learning from our mistakes. That’s a good thing! 

If you are ready to set goals you’re excited about, let’s do it! Here are some tips to help. 

LIST OUT EVERYTHING YOU WANT IN LIFE

Do you have a dream for your life? I know you probably do.

Maybe it’s living in a different city with a bigger house and your own business.

It could be getting promoted at your current job and finally landing your dream job.

Or maybe it’s being a stay-at-home mom, living a slower life, and having more freedom. 

Only you know what you want most in life!

If you aren’t totally sure, it’s time to start thinking about it. Check out these journal prompts for figuring out what you want in life. 

Once you know what you want, it’s a) easier to set goals and b) easier to ensure you are focusing on things that truly matter to you. 

CREATE A TOP 5 LIST

When I first got into goal setting I would set way too many goals.

It’s easy to get excited about all your ideas and want to set all the goals possible.

However, that can be overwhelming and makes it way harder to achieve them. 

So, once you know what you want in life, set 5 goals.

These could be bigger goals, smaller goals, or anything in between. Just focus on your top 5. 

Once you have your list narrowed down you can be much more certain that those 5 goals are important to you and your future self. 

Tip: you can also break down these goals to make them a bit easier to achieve, but the whole point is to focus on 5 overarching goals.

For example: if your goal is to buy a car this year, then you can break that down into smaller goals but your main goal is still to buy that car. 

WRITE OUT THE WAYS YOUR LIFE WOULD BE BETTER

It’s time to truly imagine yourself achieving your goals.

An easy way to set goals that you actually want to work on is to imagine your life if they happened. How good do you feel? Is your life better? Did a major dream come true? Are you happy?

Imagining how you will feel and how your life will be are big motivators and can quickly show you if the goal is aligned with what you truly desire. 

RELATED: Read here “Manifest Your Dream Life: How to Instantly Attract Anything You Desire”

SET UP SMALL MILESTONES

Do you know another easy way to keep yourself motivated and excited? Treat yourself!

Set up some small milestones along the way to achieving your goals and gift yourself something.

It might be a dinner out, a fancy coffee, a new pair of shoes, a book, and so on.

The gifts don’t need to be big but it’s just enough motivation to keep working. 

SET FUN GOALS TOO

Often we only focus on those big, huge, scary goals. While those are awesome and we need them to move forward, it’s nice to have some fun goals too. 

Everyone wants to have fun and do fun things – it’s no secret!

Some examples of fun goals are :

• Planning a weekend trip
• Starting a book club
• Learning a new skill
• Planting a garden 

You might even want to set seasonal goals – which I personally love doing. This way, it doesn’t take away from my top 5 goals but still allows me to focus on fun all year!

MAKE YOUR GOALS MEASURABLE

One of the most important aspects of goal setting and goal achievement is measuring your progress.

It’s hard to know if you’ve achieved a goal when the goal was not really measurable. 

When it comes to setting New Year’s goals that you actually want to achieve it is crucial that you know when you are making progress.

Progress in itself is a huge motivator and, even if your goals are taking a bit longer than you expected, seeing yourself make progress can help you keep going. 

GET CLEAR ON YOUR VALUES

And finally, setting goals that excite you comes from a place of value. The goals are in alignment with you in some way. 

If you don’t know what your values are then take a few minutes to explore that. Some common values are:

• Honesty 
• Compassion
• Knowledge
• Loyalty
• Kindness
• Community 

Here is a big list of values – which I found helpful when deciding what resonated with me the most.

Sometimes it’s hard to know these things about ourselves…so why not go for a little help?

RELATED: Grab below your FREE “Value Compass Workbook” to get crystal clear on what’s most important for you!

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What to Do Next

Grab a notebook and a pen and get to work!

Your New Year’s goals aren’t going to set themselves, so take some time with all your thoughts and ideas and hash them out. 

Each time you get an idea for a new goal ask yourself if it lights you up, if it’s aligned with your values, and if it is something you really want and are excited about!

There is no good or bad time to set new goals, so get to work right now! Whether you are reading this leading up to the New Year or find yourself reading during any other time of year, the time is now! 

I hope this gave you some motivation to set and achieve your goals and most importantly, to explore what you really want in life.

We should all strive to be our best selves and find ways to live a life of purpose and fulfillment!

Best of luck with your goals. I believe in you ♥️

Tell me what your top 5 goals are for the New Year!

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