Creative Goal Setting for the New Year: How to Set Goals That You Will Accomplish

It’s that time again – the end of the year and the beginning of a new one.

The new year beckons us to start fresh, to bring in something new, to change something for the better, to be excited about a possible change, and to make new commitments to ourselves and to others.

Even though a new year with new possibilities is exciting, it can also feel frightening and stifling. Sometimes, we feel overwhelmed with our lives and start to believe that we can’t accomplish those things that we imagine would make our lives more enjoyable, even with a new, fresh start. So, what can we do to make this undeniable longing to better our lives smoother?

Here is a plan of action and exercise to set your goals for a happier life in the new year.

Grab six sheets of paper or use an Excel spreadsheet and write the following as a title on each page:

1. My Health

2. My Relationships

3. My Home

4. My Work

5. My Hobbies & Leisure Time

6. My Spirituality & Growth

Now below the title of each page, write the following: “This is what I desire for my health,” and “This is what I desire for my relationships,” and so on and so forth.

Once that is completed, start with the category “My Health” and write anything you want to change about your health and why. For example, you might write, “I want to gain muscle because it would make me stronger,” or “I want to buy new clothes because I lost some weight and I want to look my best,” or “I want to lose 20 lbs. because I want to look better and feel better.” You get the idea!

For your “Hobbies and Leisure Time,” you could write, “I want to take up golf because it would be fun,” or “I want to learn to play the guitar because I love being creative with my hands.” You get the idea!

For “My Home,” you could write something like, “I want to organize my garage because it would be easier to find my tools, so I could work on my woodworking hobby,” or “I want to paint my basement because a fresh coat of paint would improve the look of the room.” Got it?

Do the same for the rest of the pages until you have written down your desires for each category.

Do not think about this too much or become anxious about it. Have fun with it! You can always go back and change it or add to it if you want. The important thing is to do your best and write down the “why.” Enjoy the process and take it one step at a time!

Once you are finished, put this somewhere where you have access to it every day. Now start to imagine yourself and your life with these in motion. Think about these things for a few minutes every day. Think positively and believe they will happen. Take small steps towards these goals. You will then see things start to happen. You will then be excited and that will generate more positive action towards a life you imagine and want!

This exercise will accomplish three important things:

• It will make you realize what might be missing in your life that would enhance it greatly.
• It will put a plan in motion (on paper and not just in your head) to make your imagined life your REAL life.
• And most importantly, if you think positively and imagine how your life would be if you were living your desires NOW and then take small action steps, you will eventually have what you desire.

Happy Creative Goal Setting and Happy New Year!