How to Set Achievable and Practical Goals This New Year

If you are considering the idea of making 2023 your best year yet, this is the guide for you. You’ll learn how to set practical New Year’s goals and follow through with them. Gone are the so-called ‘resolutions’ and in are the things you’ll declare as a goal and conquer them with ease.

We talk about losing weight, making more money, or whatever we set our minds to. The real question is: how exactly are you going to achieve it? Do you have a roadmap for it?

With that said, let’s dive right in and give you the steps you need to take to set goals that you can achieve now and throughout the year.

It starts with the thought process

Indeed, your goals start with a thought in your mind. You have an idea of what you want to set and achieve. This is the ‘setting your mind to it’ process.

What is this specific goal you have in mind? Is it improving your health, career or relationship? Or is it something like taking up a new hobby or learning a new skill?

Before going any further, you want to make sure whether or not this goal in particular is aligned with your interests and values. Achievable goals have to be in line with them or they may be not as meaningful as you thought.

You may read all the self-improvement tips you want. But it’s all about putting the thoughts in action. Especially when you want to achieve those practical New Year’s goals you need to set.

Make a list

At this point, Christmas has come to pass. Still, make the list and check it twice. It’s important to write your goals in order of priority and importance.

You’ll want to focus on the most important and urgent first and foremost. Once you knock them out, move on to the next one. It would be criminal to not leave out this piece of advice: stick with it.

Also, take a moment to think things over. The last thing you need to do is overwhelm yourself. The important things should be taken care of before you even focus on the other goals.

Don’t start with the less important stuff first. It would be a mistake to skip it. You’ll feel a lot better and more accomplished knowing you’ve banged out your most important but practical New Year’s goals.

Break down your goals into smaller ones

To make your goals more manageable and achievable, the best solution is to break them down. Specifically, these should be smaller goals that will allow you greater focus. For example, if your goal is losing weight, exercising four times a week for 30 minutes is one of those smaller goals that you can achieve.

If your goal is saving money, it can be something like ‘saving 10 percent every paycheck’. Get the idea? It’s always a good idea to make sure that your goal is realistic, achievable, and easy to meet frequently.

Remember, the smaller goals will snowball into a much larger one. If you have already written your list of goals (like we’ve suggested in the previous point), take a moment to break down each one into smaller goals.

Make sure your goals are specific and measurable

It’s one thing to create unique New Year’s resolutions. However, they won’t be as specific and measurable as your goals. That’s right, you want to make sure that your goals are specific right down to the numbers.

You’ll want to keep track of them as well. This is what we mean by measurable goals. And be honest about them.

You say you want to take 10000 steps a day. But one day, you do about half of them. Be sure to document that and keep yourself honest and accountable.

When you are keeping track of these goals, make sure you journal them. This will help you know about how far you’ve come. Likewise, it will also help you determine how much you have left to do before you finally achieve that goal.

Once again, specific goals can be: saving 10 percent of your paycheck or losing 20 pounds in 3 months. The numbers matter and they are much needed for you to measure your specific goals.

Set a deadline

Your goals should have a deadline. It should keep you in shape and help you stick with the goals that you set. For example, set a deadline for when you want to achieve that goal you set for yourself.

Do you want to lose 20 pounds in three months? Make three months the deadline. Get the idea.

When it comes to setting deadlines, be realistic about them. Don’t pressure yourself by making your deadline a small time window. This will stress you out and you might not feel up to the task of achieving the task at hand.

Make sure the deadline is realistic. The more challenging the goal, the longer you can give yourself. You’ll need enough time to get the work done, whenever necessary.

Seek support and accountability

When it comes to achieving your goals, it’s important to achieve them to the best of your ability. This includes getting all the support you can get from friends, family members, and other people who will cheer for your progress.

The more support you get, the more confident you feel. But keep in mind, these people will hold you accountable. Don’t let them down.

Final Thoughts

The new year is underway. And it’s time for you to put this list to good use. Now is the time to set the practical goals that you can achieve this year.

When you do, we guarantee that you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment. No more ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ that you can’t stick to. This time – you want to create goals that are specific, measurable, and realistic.

Don’t wait any longer. Plan, prioritize, and achieve the goals you want to get done now.