Let’s get into it!

The most important thing to do before you set any goals, is to reflect.

This doesn’t have to be anything fancy.

Just think back, or flip back through your planner or even your phone pictures, and list out 5 things you’re grateful that happened in 2023.

List them out, whether you’re writing out your goals by hand or on your computer.

This exercise helps you see how far you’ve come, inspires you to do more, and really just gets those creative juices flowing and gets you started without staring at a blank page.

I also like to set a word or a phrase for the year.

This is a great time to do that if it has come to you.

I do this before I set my goals, it helps me keep them in check.

If yours hasn’t come to you yet, you can set your goals and then use your goals to inspire your word.

Now let’s get to how to set those goals.

I like to make a kind of vague, overreaching goal, and then break it down using the goal setting framework called SMART.

My goal statement for this year is that I want to be a better, and healthier, wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend, and business owner.

See how that’s really vague?

It inspires me, but there’s nothing measureable or attainable there.

That’s where the SMART framework comes in.

The idea behind SMART goals is to create goals that are clear, achievable, and trackable. Here is a breakdown of each element of SMART goals (by the way, each letter in the word SMART is one of the steps in the framework):

I always work in threes, and do 3 big goals for the year, three things to do in each month that work toward those 3 yearly, 3 things to do each week that go toward the 3 monthly, and even some days 3 things to do for that day that lead toward the 3 things for the week.

Now, I’m not saying I only set 3 goals, but those are kind of my main rocks for the year.

I actually have 9, but they all break into 3 categories. I also love having 9 because I made a Canva template that I update every year. It’s a virtual vision board that fits perfectly on the lock screen of my phone and works as a fun reminder throughout my every day.

A few of mine include having a specific meeting with my husband Joe every week, some specific health goals, and specific spiritual goals.

A couple of those specifics include walking 25 miles by April 1 - this is an example of one that is totally achievable and will keep me motivated, and I can reset it again in Quarter 2.

Another is to read through the New Testatment of the Bible.

I always set a goal to read through the whole Bible and I’ve never acheived it. Having it more broken out like this makes me feel like I can do it, and I will!

I also break down my multiple revenue streams so I can keep paying attention to them and not get off track.

All of my marketing stays strategic this way, and I don’t get caught up in posting too much “off the cuff”, although I do enjoy that from time to time and will still add it, I just won’t let it distract me from the plan.

I especially have to keep my more passive revenue streams front and center because they’re easier to overlook because they’re on autopilot with good systems. That doesn’t mean they can’t be better.

Here’s your hot tip.

1. Sit down and do this. Like now. You can hit play and pause through this actionable episode as you go. Let me be in your ear cheering you on.

2. Think about making those 3 goals, and as you’re making them, make one easily attainable, one harder, and one that you know you won’t achieve.

Having one that doesn’t feel attainable isn’t setting you up for failure, it’s creating a vision and feeling that the sky’s the limit, and it makes those other two feel a lot more attainable.

I personally love doing mine handwritten, it just makes it feel so much more personal and actionable. I use Chelly Ontis’ Marketing Planner for Entrepreneurs.

If you’re listening to this before January 9, we’re giving one away, along with a three month pass into my business coaching membership, Let’s Book Clients, The Membership.

Just go to www.letsbookclients.com/giveaway... or you can scroll down a little to go through it now here on this page!

As always, if it’s past January 9, you can still go to that page to get more information about both. I like to keep the episodes relevant even if the time has passed.

Also as always, thank you for being here with me where we learn, grow, and connect together!