Happy 2023! It’s always amazing to start a new year! Since the new year has rolled in we are enthralled with excitement for a fresh start! We think of all we would like to achieve within this New Year as we do every year. We set resolutions only to give up within 17-18 days or at most 32 days. I, myself have been guilty of this too! Especially since most goals I’ve set haven’t been specific. Today, I’ll be sharing how to set intentional goals and make them achievable! As a bonus, I also include a goal-setting worksheet to start working towards your goals!
How To Set Intentional Goals That Align With Who You Are
What Is Intentional Goal Setting?
A goal is a person’s ambition, an aim for us to achieve what we desire. There’s more to it than simply saying what your goal will be. For example, my goal this year is to be healthy. It’s pretty vague, I mean what exactly does healthy mean to you? Nevertheless, I’m going to help you set your goals intentionally!
Many times we hear what our favorite celebrity, influencer, or friends have set for themselves, filling us up with inspiration and setting the same or similar goals. I’m guilty of this too! Instead, we need to give ourselves time to plan out our goals and set them intentionally.
Intentional goal setting is taking time to focus on what you truly desire. Start by taking at least 20-30 minutes to focus and write down your desires. And intentionally plan small steps that will have a major impact on achieving the larger goal! If asking “what’s my goal?” isn’t exciting you and making you think big then ask what excites me instead.
Why Is It Important To Be Intentional?
The importance of being intentional helps us understand and set clarity on what we desire & what matters most. When we take time to be intentional we have a better focus on what’s most important to us and our values. And it helps us better invest our time where it’s most needed.
How do you write an intentional goal?
Take Some Time to Self-Reflect
Set aside at least 20-30min and reflect on the past year. Have a look at photos, journals, etc, and find what were the moments that brought you happiness during the past year, how many lessons were learned, and what were some failures. Reminder failing isn’t bad. It’s a learning experience and can sometimes lead to greater things we were not expecting. While self-reflecting ask yourself these simple questions:
- Who am I?
- What are my values?
- What excites me?
- Are these goals aligning with my values?
- What is an important priority at this given time?
Every day we are growing and learning and becoming a newer version of ourselves; our values and beliefs are constantly changing. Asking yourself who am I? will allow you to understand the person you are now. These questions will help you gain clarity if something aligns or doesn’t align with your values.
Be Aware Of Your Emotions
When writing your goals it’s important to be aware of your emotions. Oftentimes, we set a goal to please others. Or, it’s a goal we shared with others in the past and are afraid of failure and judgment. Whichever the reason, setting a goal for others or a goal that no longer aligns with your values and who you are can trigger a negative emotion. And make that goal an unmotivating one to work towards.
- How does setting this goal make me feel?
- Was this set due to the fear of failing others?
- Lastly, does this align with my values?
Create A Vision Board
They’re a plethora of ways one can create a vision board. My personal favorite is through Canva and printing two copies – one to keep in my bullet journal and the other simply to have on my wall. Alternatively, you can go the old-fashion route and use magazine cutouts, or keep it digital and have it as your desktop or phone’s wallpaper.
However, your choice to create your vision board is up to you. There is no right or wrong way. The purpose of the vision board is to keep you inspired and motivated to manifest your dreams. Use a combination of words and phrases and images that speak to you and your goals!
Write Down Your Goals
I love a good pen-to-paper! Be it planning or not, there’s just so much creativity when putting your thoughts down on paper. Personally, I write my goals at the beginning of my bullet journal and break them down into four categories. For me, these categories are health, business, finance, and personal. These may be different from yours and maybe more or less than four categories but remember to keep it simple!
When writing your goals use the KISS method and Keep It Simple Silly. Do not burden yourself with too many goals. Setting too many goals can feel overwhelming and impossible to achieve which can quickly cause burnout. Instead, make them SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and lastly Timely.
Create An Action Plan
After you’ve written down your SMART goals and created your vision board, you may be thinking what’s next? The next step and perhaps one of the most important one is breaking down your goals into actionable steps! This step is important as it gives you a clear direction and helps to keep you on track with achieving your goals. Firstly, identify what your biggest priority is. From there, break down your large goals into small actionable tasks. Assign tasks a due date as this will help enforce it gets done.
Example of How to Set Intentional Goals:
Here’s an example of how to set an intentional goal that is SMART and has an action plan!
Let’s say our fictional person wants to buy a starter house within the next 2.5-3 years and they need to start saving like right now.
Goal: I’m going to start saving to buy a house.
– This goal is vague. There’s no specificity therefore no solid action plan. Making it easier for them to fail at saving if they are not keeping track of their finances.
SMART GOAL: Save my first $10,000 this year to put towards a down payment for a house.
Actionable Steps:
- Determine my budget for buying a house
- Create a budgeting spreadsheet and keep track of finances
- Reduce spending on clothing and eating out.
- Cancel unnecessary subscriptions
- Read at least 5 financial books
- Open separate savings account for my house savings.
- Every pay week I will put a minimum of $190 into my savings.
Above is a SMART Goal that has an action plan in place. Undoubtedly, making it more achievable!
Download Your Worksheet On How To Set Intentional Goals!
As promised here is your goal-setting worksheet! Download the free PDF here!
Happy New Year!
xx Zee xx