Personal and Professional Goals for the New Year
New year, new me, new resolutions, new goals. The amount of new-ness at the end of the year is exhaustive. It often seems like everyone is in a rush to put the past year behind them and move on to what’s next—especially for the professionally-focused bunch. Still, in setting goals for 2023, let’s reflect on our progress and how much we have done to get to where we are today.
While we’re in the age where we want fast results, we’d do well to remember that growth is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time to plan, network, gain experience and skills, and grow in the direction we want to feel satisfaction.
Even if the next milestone in your life isn’t yet within your grasp, setting some personal and professional goals for the new year might be a useful compass for your journey.
Plan Ahead for 2023
SMART Goal setting is an organized and effective way to track progress and ensure you are on course with your dreams. Studies show goal setting activates many areas of your brain to delay gratification and increase motivation to help you find success.
Have you ever heard someone say, “it’s about the journey, not the destination?” While this truth applies to many areas of life, this is an especially good way to think about the concept of goal setting. Despite how you set goals or what “method” you use, you should always consider three important aspects or stages: what do you want to accomplish, what is the process involved, and what are the necessary actions needed? Thinking about your goals through these three lenses helps you identify potential barriers and obstacles, determine steps and the order you need to take, set your definition of success, and celebrate your progress. Goal setting can be tricky because some aspects are out of your control, but you can set yourself up to do everything YOU need to do to find your success.
Work SMARTer, Not Harder
Consider the SMART method. SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Timely
Ensure your goals are specific. This helps make your goal easy to understand and, therefore, easy to follow. A specific goal is easier to measure and achieve. You can make your goal specific by asking yourself who, what, where, when and most importantly, why.
You can’t know if you are successful in your goal if it is not measurable. Measuring your progress not only helps you stay on track to attain your goal, but also allows you to view the progress and see if you need to make any adjustments to your goal or timeline to make it better. You need a way to assess your achievements in order to determine if your goal is met. This helps take goals out of their lofty ideals and anchors them to reality and real progress.
A realistic goal is an achievable goal. There is a difference between aiming high and having unrealistic expectations. Ask yourself, is this goal doable and realistic? This will help you stay motivated. If the goal seems too overwhelming, try breaking it into smaller stages and celebrating the victory that comes with each step.
Making sure a goal is relevant is important to stay on track. Will your goal help you reach a milestone in your career/life? Are you doing this for yourself or to please others? These are important questions to ask to make sure you are putting your energy into the right place and aiming toward what YOU really want.
And finally, a good goal has a timeline. Giving yourself a realistic timeframe helps you to plan, organize, and stay accountable to your goals.
Add Balance to Your Goals
What do you want to accomplish in 2023? Are you looking for a chance to skyrocket your career or for an opportunity to reconnect with loved ones at home? A well-balanced life includes goals in both the personal and professional spheres and includes a chance to grow in many directions. When setting SMART goals for 2023, consider what areas of your life you want to focus on. Consider balancing goals for mental and emotional wellness with goals for physical health and career growth.
Here are some SMART goals to consider:
Drink 100oz of water 7 days a week for the next 3 months (Physical health)
Set aside 2 hours a week to work on a business idea with the plan to launch in 2 months (Professional Growth)
Begin each workday by setting the top three expectations for productivity (Professional Growth)
Make a plan to meditate for 5 minutes for 2 weeks, and then add 5 minutes every week until 30 minutes (Emotional health)
Set aside one night every other week for a date night with your partner (Relational Health)
Participate in individual therapy once a week for the next 3 months (Mental Health)
Starting 2023 Well
Embrace the motivation and determination that accompanies the new year to set goals and get ahead in your career and personal life. If goal setting is intimidating to you, or you have not had much luck reaching your goals in the past, reach out today to get support to set yourself up for success. Don’t forget to add some fun, self-rewards, and positive affirmations into your schedule to ensure you enjoy the journey to the top!
