Setting New Year’s Goals Instead of Resolutions

The New Year is from this moment forward!

If you’re setting New Year’s goals or resolutions, here’s another suggestion worth considering.

No matter whether you’re reading this at or near January 1st, or any other month, the good news is that a new year begins with each new day as a trailing year around the globe from that point in time. So there’s no need to ever wait to pile all of your “shoulds” into January 1st!

At iCreateDaily, we’re all about a strong dose of daily doing blended with perpetual learner’s mind with a “question everything ” attitude. We’re all about doing what works best for you. AND… that whatever works best for you, may not be what works best for us or the next person, and vice versa.

A part of self discovery begins with that which compels you. Identify the things you’re doing that are because you think you should… because society said so… or because of a date on the calendar. Or… if it’s because you really think it, believe it and have found it to work for you… because it compels you from intrinsic motivation or as a haunting idea that never goes away.

Now, with all the disclaimers out of the way, we’re sharing our thoughts and perspectives on setting New Year’s goals over New Year’s resolutions.

Each new day is the beginning of a new year from that moment forward. Don’t wait until January 1st to begin anew, invigorated with vision and resolve. The day is the way. Each day.
~LeAura Alderson, cofounder iCreateDaily.com®

Setting New Year’s Goals

Everyone knows that more often than not, resolutions don’t last.

Just go to a gym in January, then again in March, and you’ll see the evidence. And it’s not just about fitness. That’s just the easy location to target because it’s measurable by time of year and a common concern for anyone with a body.

This plan-versus-do gap is universally applicable across all aspirational pursuits. In other words, there is a wealth of goals and dreams, but a poverty of execution. As the saying goes:

“A dream without a goal is just a wish.”
~multiple authors

FORGET RESOLUTIONS

Resolutions fall by the wayside.
Set goals and work them daily.
Your goals are the horizon to aim for
to get to where you want to go,
one goal, one day at a time.

The day is the way.

~LeAura Alderson, iCreateDaily.com®

6 Tips for Setting New Year’s Goals and Sticking With It

Instead of a list of resolutions, set goals. Start by asking yourself where you want to be this time next year.

Setting Your New Year’s Goals

My Goal This Year is…

1. Set your goal – Identify one goal.
2. Create a list of what needs to be done.
3. Prioritize tasks – adjust as needed 
4. Do it – Take action, then repeat.
5. Tweak it – Track and tweak your progress daily.
6. Vision it daily – imagine your goal achieved.

Set a Goal, Reach a Goal, and Then You Set Another

After you’ve created your first month’s list, add the first few steps to Week One. At the end of Week One, go back to your month’s list and flesh out Week Two and so on for each week.

The biggest difference in goals and resolutions is that with goals you’re setting specific goals with the actions needed to get them done.

To set a goal of writing a book is vague. To set the goal of writing a book in 90 days is specific.

You can find more specifics on daily goal setting here. And here’s a 4-steps to achieve your goals setting approach that’s powerful in its simplicity and easy to remember and implement.

Example of Goal Setting for Writers

Goal: To Write a book in 90 days

Let’s imagine your goal is to write a novel in 90 days. An easy goal setting approach for writers is to set a daily world count goal. And while it’s hard to know how many words or pages your novel will be, you can set your goal based on the average word count for books in your genre and niche.

Average novel: 300 pages x 75,000 words = 250 words per page

Month One

• Write 10 pages per day @250 word = 2500 words/day
• 10 pages/day x 30 days = 300 pages and 75,000 words

Week One

• 70 Pages – sounds like a lot, doesn’t it…? But… it’s just 10 pages/day
• 10 Pages/day
• ~2 hours writing per day at 21 words per minute = 2,520.

For perspective, the brief outline above is 60 words. These two sentences are 21 words, so 21/minute sounds doable, doesn’t it?

Setting Goals Helps You Avoid Overwhelm

So you see… to write a book in 90 days sounds overwhelming. One day at a time? Doable. Totally. So overcome overwhelm by breaking the large tasks down into manageable steps. You can’t leap from the bottom step to the 7th step in one jump, but you can take the steps one or two at a time and easily reach the summit. Same with your goals.

At this rate, in just 4 weeks, your book will be written. That gives you the 2nd month for editing and editors, and the third month for publishing, marketing and promoting.

That’s why setting and working your goals one day at a time, works.

You can find more specifics on how to set and achieve goals in this podcast episode.

In one year I want to…. (be, have, achieve, accomplish, etc.)______________________.

Daily Visioning

Daily visioning is an integral part of achieving your goals. This is where you mentally and emotionally prepare yourself and train your mindset to become the future that you’re working toward.

Ask yourself this daily, preferably in morning meditations and again as you go to sleep at night:

“When I have arrived at my year’s goal, I will ______________.

Envision

Alternate expanding on these one at a time. Like creating a painting, or writing a chapter, each aspect will be developed and take form over time through daily vision and effort.

Imagine feeling and doing these things and begin creating your answers in thought and action.

IMAGINE

“By the end of this year…….”

• I have achieved my goal, and am ready to set another.
• How will I feel?
  • I feel strong and empowered.
  • My sense of self is _______… (e.g., peaceful, joyful and grateful).
  • I feel incredible joy at being on track and living my purpose.
  • My success has boosted my energy and confidence.
  • I feel comfortable in and with myself.
• How will I look?
  • What is my posture?
  • How will I walk?
  • What is the habitual expression on my face?
• By year’s end:
  • I am enjoying a wonderful celebration of my success with ______ at ______. 
  • I will be confident and comfortable with myself, and my walk, talk and attire will reflect this.

RELATED: The power of belief and visioning

The perfect plan never survives reality without tweaks. Tweaks are discovered in the field of daily doing.
~LeAura Alderson, iCreateDaily.com®

More tips for setting New Year’s goals.

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