We’ve all been told that writing down your goals gives you a better chance of achieving them.  Scientifically, based on the fact that by writing them down, you are using both hemispheres of your brain, thereby increasing the desire for the body, not just the mind, to work towards our desires. 

In January of 2019, I wrote down nine goals I wanted to accomplish for the year.  I had never actually written them down, but I did, and I also posted them on my desk where I could see it every day.  Here is my list:

1. Mediate each day
2. Journal each day
3. Be authentically me, without the masks
4. Read each day
5. Write a blog post each week
6. Finish the first draft of my memoir
7. Be creative regularly
8. Learn new things
9. Mentor others

Now, keep in mind that I hadn’t been able to meditate or journal regularly, even though I know that they are cornerstone habits that I should be doing for my own self-care.  I had created the website for the blog the week before, so I was making a considerable time commitment, especially since I was planning on completing the first draft of my memoir.  We all need to allow our creativity to flow, so we need to spend time in a place that will enable us to create.  We all should continue to grow and learn new things so we don’t become stagnate. 

If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes. ~ Andrew Carnegie

A Year in Review

So, let’s look at the results of my simple list.

Mediating each day: 

Not only did I meditate daily, but I also participate in three 21- Day Mediations from Deepak Chopra and Oprah Winfrey. 

Journal each day: 

I was able to journal 364 days this year. I also wrote a writing prompt each of those days as well.  Not sure what happened to that one day, but that is considerably better than I have done in the past. 

Be authentically me, without the masks:  

This one is a bit more difficult to evaluate, there isn’t a checkbox or pages in my journal as proof of meeting this goal.  So, after some self-evaluation, I believe I was more my authentic self this year then I have been previously.  I was more outspoken and bold when asked my opinion.  I wasn’t concerned with people’s opinions about me as I was more concerned with being authentic to my soul.

Read each day:  

I read 357 days of the year.  I completed 67 books.  And according to Pocket, a reading app, I am a top reader, reading 1.1 million words in Pocket, which is the equivalent to another 15 books.

Write a blog post each week: 

I did write 52 articles for the year.  I also wrote three pieces for a local writer’s Inkling’s newsletter, two articles published in the local Smoke Signals newspaper.  

Finish the first draft of my memoir: 

This one I was concerned about because in the summer, I had to write the book proposal, so I didn’t write much for the book for about two months.  As I was writing the six-chapter summaries for the book, I kept writing, and then there were six more chapters of the book I had to write.  But I decided to participate in NaNoWriMo, National Write a Novel Month, in November and plugged through the six chapters.  Then I added a final chapter in December, and now the first draft is complete.

Be creative regularly:

Now, some people think that writing is a creative activity, and they are correct. I, however, like spend time in my studio painting or crafting with my granddaughter.  This year I was able to paint seven pictures and create five craft projects — one each month, which was a happy surprise when I realized that I was so creative.  And we all are creative in some way.

Learn new things:

Since I had never built a website, I was aware that I had a lot to learn about SEO, social media marketing, and copywriting.  I had not realized that I participated in a workshop or online class every month of the year!  I became a certified life coach and participated in several personal development classes outside of the items for the website.

Mentor others:

At first, when I looked at this, I didn’t recognize the achievement.  Each quarter of the year, I did spend time with someone mentoring them in some way that was beneficial to them. 

All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible. ~ Orison Swett Marden

Getting Your Goals on Paper              

What are the things you want to add to your life to create more happiness, health, abundance, and love?  Do you enjoy reading, but haven’t picked up a novel in years?  Do you want to feel more energic by getting more sleep or adding a regular exercise routine?  You have to want to do these objectives because if you hate reading, then making yourself read twelve books this year would be agonizing, and that doesn’t help you.

Consequently, these goals need to be something you want to do so that you are looking forward to the task.  You need to motivate yourself to completing the objective.  Being clear about your desires is essential for your success.

Next, we need to create simple statements for your goals that can be measured.  For example, if you want to read more, you could commit to joining a book club, or state that you will read one book a month.   Either way, you will read one book per month, but by joining a book club, you may have more fun than reading on your own.  Also, realize that there is more than one or even two ways to complete your goal.  Some may be more helpful if you have others that are committed to a similar task. 

Here are my goals for 2020, simply stated and measurable:

1. Be bold by being myself
2. Create a monthly newsletter
3. Read 70 books this year
4. Grow my author platform
5. Be creative
6. Guest blog or write for other platforms
7. Create an online course
8. Continue to learn
9. Publish my memoir

By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be. Put your future in good hands—your own. ~ Mark Victor Hansen

Plan to Achieve your Goals

 To achieve your goals, you have to have a strategy.  You have to plan your success.  How does one do this?  Achieve your goals by actually calendaring them to be more productive with your time.  Yes, put them into your daily or weekly schedule.  You can use any planner you like.  I have a weekly planner I use that gives me the space I want to track the goals I have set for myself.  It’s not a particular planner, but it’s pretty and works for what I am doing.

 For example, to read 70 books this year, I plan to attend two different book clubs each month, which I put into the monthly page.  I also have a daily devotional I read as well as poetry books that I read a little bit each day.  So, I have a habit tracker for the week, which I make myself, just a simple grid box I draw with a line on it that says “Read.”  When I have read that day, I check the box.  It still means that I need to read more than one book a week to attain my goal, but I enjoy reading.  I have a stack of books I want to complete, so I am motivated.

For the bigger goals, like publishing my memoir, I have broken this down into steps that I take each quarter.  The first quarter is to get the first draft edited.  I will go through it again in January, and then I will give it to a professional editor.  All of this goes on the monthly calendar, as well as the weekly list.  This way, each week, I am working towards this larger goal.  Plan your success and schedule them in your calendar. 

Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success. ~ Pablo Picasso

Affirmations Aid in Goal Realization

 There is plenty of research showing how daily affirmations can help individuals achieve more in their lives. I have used many different ones over the years from a variety of sources.  You can find many on Pinterest that may interest you.  This year I created my own.  I wrote them so that I could focus on having a positive mindset.

A majority of them begin as “I am” statements.  These types of comments are powerful because they cause belief.  When you look in the mirror and say, “I look tired,” you set into your mind and your body a state of being that is negative instead of focusing on the good things about ourselves.  Changing our self-talk into more positive statements only helps us achieve our goals.

By saying them each morning, you set your mind and emotional state, as well as prepare yourself for success each day.  This programming of the subconscious mind is very accepting of what it’s told.  Anything you say, write or feel repeatedly becomes fixed in your subconscious.

So if you say that you’re always too busy, then you will continue not have enough time to complete the items you are trying to do.  If, however, you say that you complete all that you are to do this day, then you will achieve more.

Anyone can write positive “I am” statements for themselves.  You can use some of mine, or write your own, but they have to be personal and meaningful for you.  As you start to say them each morning, you will begin to believe that you are precisely what you positively say to yourself, thus aiding in you attaining your daily goals.

An affirmation opens the door. It’s a beginning point on the path to change. ~ Louise L. Hay

Moving Forward

So, take a few minutes and evaluate your wants and needs to see the vision you have for 2020.  Now determine the goals that you plan to attain for this New Year.  If you need more help in your goal setting, I have created a 21-Questions to Extraordinary Goal Setting worksheet for you to use.  Click here to download it for free, along with a pretty My Goals for 2020 Sheet to document our goals for the new year. 

You have all the tools you need to set your goals in place and succeed in attaining them as we start the new decade.  Share them with me on Facebook– I look forward to seeing them!

All successful people have a goal. No one can get anywhere unless he knows where he wants to go and what he wants to be or do.  ~ Norman Vincent Peale

As you realize the power of your writing down your goals and having daily affirmations can change your mindset, you can alter the course of the next year.  If you would like to receive more enlightening articles right into your email, fill this out now.

Do you need help becoming aware of your mindset?  Do you need support in writing down your goals for the coming year?  If so, please contact me, and we can put together an action plan for you to be authentically you and attain your goals in the coming year.

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Write Down Your Goals and See Huge Success

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Writing down your goals creates more success for the vision you have for your life. Goals help you grow and to focus your attention to succeed.

Author

Terri Kozlowski

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Kozmic Soul Solutions LLC

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