Goal Setting in 2020 - Creative Mommyhood

How to Set Goals This Year (And Actually Achieve Them!)

(A Tired Mom’s Guide)

Ready or not, 2020 is here. I’m still having trouble remembering what day it is, much less that we’re already in the first month of a new year!

January is notorious for being the month when we all make resolutions or set BHAGs (Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals) or some combination of both.

Is anyone else out there feeling some extreme pressure to set especially high- value goals this year since it is the start of a new decade? I hope I’m not the only one who is feeling the pressure.

And though I love nothing more than to set a goal and work on it, I’m doing something way different this year with my goal-setting.

Rewind

Last year, I had this giant calendar that had a beautiful spread in the back with places for goals in different categories. And I went wild! I dreamed BIG and color-coded. I filled in those blank spaces with my goals, and then went on with life.

The problem was, by the end of the year, I hadn’t reached most of those goals that I set for myself. And as pretty as that goal-setting page was to look at, I was disappointed that I didn’t achieve more of my goals.

Simplified Goal-Setting

Jumping into the new decade, I’m doing something much different this year.

I’m simplifying my goal-setting process. Simply put, I’ve got two goals for the entire year that are very, very important to me.

I want to get my body in the best shape of my life through the practice of yoga, pilates, and walking workouts.
I want to complete my songwriting journal that I started at the beginning of this month by using it every month and week of the year and performing/ recording at least two of my new songs by the year’s end.

That’s it. Those are my goals. Instead of twenty goals, I have the two that are meaningful to me and very detailed.

Does this mean I won’t pay attention to any other areas in my life because I’m only focusing on these two areas? Absolutely not. But what I’ve learned time and again is that what you focus on grows. And success begets success. I believe my success in these two areas will naturally help me be more excellent in the other areas of my life.

How to Simplify Your Goals

You’re a busy mom. How in the world do you achieve some or all goals you care about this year? You know how fast life moves when you’re dropping the kids off at school, commuting to work (or just trying to make it into the laundry room), planning dinners, cooking those dinners, cleaning house, attempting to have some kind of romantic life with your partner, attempting to stay in shape, honoring your social commitments, and practicing self-care (I could go on and on).

Here are 3 simple ideas to help you set goals you care about and actually achieve them:

Narrow Your Focus. Sometimes, we as moms are guilty of trying to do all of the things. And never actually becoming efficient or good at any of them because we’ve spread ourselves way too thin. Stop trying to be Super Woman! She doesn’t exist. What is a goal that you really care about and want to see happen by the end of the year? Focus on that first. Let the other stuff go for now. You can always choose another focus in a few months.
Define in Detail. The more detailed you can get about your goal, the better! If you’re having trouble defining your goal, think about it in terms of your senses. At the end of this year, what does it look like, feel like, sound like to have accomplished that goal? Imagine yourself having achieved whatever it is, and see the details surrounding your success. Jot down those details to help define your goal.
Monkey See, Monkey Do. Once you know what your goal is, the worst thing you can do is “set it and forget it”. I always have a problem with writing things down, then putting them somewhere I won’t look at them for months. Write down your goal on paper and put it somewhere you go daily. How about your bathroom mirror? How about the dashboard of your car? The more you SEE your goal written out, the more likely you are to DO something about it.

What goals will you work on this year? Are you keeping it simple or going big? I’d love to hear your plan for 2020 in the comments below.