Are you ready to finish this year stronger than you’ve ever been before? It’s easier than you think, but it requires quite a bit of forethought.

It’s so important to show up as the best version of yourself every single day, especially those final days of the year. But to show up in the best way possible, you have to understand who that person is and what that looks like. This all starts with goal setting and knowing exactly what it is you strive to accomplish.

Each year I set 3-5 very specific, very lofty goals in each major area of my life. These areas include, but are not limited to, business, money, health, social life, relationship, family, fun and recreation, environment, and spirituality. That’s right, I end up with 25-35 very specific goals each year and devise a plan for how I intend to reach these goals.

When you are goal setting, you need to consider the following things:

Make each goal specific.
Avoid ambiguity. It is incredibly hard to strive for a goal that is ambiguous. If your goal is to “make money,” you will reach it with the first penny you earn. But, while you have reached your goal, it isn’t really aiding in your success or what you really had in mind.

Make your goals measurable.
How will you know if you’ve reached your goal if you don’t know how you are measuring your success? When your goals are measurable, you will know the exact moment you have reached them.

Create a plan and remain disciplined.
Generally, I break down all of my goals quarterly. Sometimes, a goal requires a monthly, weekly, or daily breakdown. Each one of my goals (all 35) has its very own, very detailed plan. As you work through your plan, it can be easy to attempt to avoid or skip a few steps, but you must remain disciplined.

Consider the cost.
Will your goals require some kind of monetary contribution? Or will it require a massive amount of your time? Where will this time or money come from? These are costs you need to consider when you are creating your goals to ensure they are feasible or when you are thinking about what you can do to make them feasible.

Align them with your core values.
Pick your top 3-5 values. These values dictate your choices unconsciously. When your goals are misaligned with your values, there is constant friction between the two, and you will be more likely to give up on a goal that does not reflect what is more important to you. If there are things that you refuse to compromise in pursuit of your goals, it is important to understand them and avoid making goals that would force you to compromise those values.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
Make sure you are considering how attainable your goals are before you set them. If your goals are too lofty, they are easy to give up on. Ensure that you don’t get too excited about your goal setting and reflect on whether or not there are smaller goals that need to be attained before you set your largest goal.

So as you get ready to end the year strong, reflect on the goals you set for yourself and think about how to develop new ones for the upcoming year in this way.

If you are looking for help with your goal setting, contact me today!