6 Things Before You Craft Your Goals for 2023

 

My family and I have followed a steady system since 2009 that's helped us kick off each year with a clear vision. Each year, we agree on a word of the year and review our family mission statement. To carry us through the year, we also choose a theme song, a scripture, and a quote. 

As a parent, I have always encouraged my children to follow their passions. It seemed like the best path toward discovering their life's purpose. After all, they're young enough to make mistakes and still have plenty of room to start over.

Then, they became high school seniors, and everything changed. Everything. Years of complete confidence in their futures turned into "I have absolutely no idea." Wait! What?

This experience made me realize that there are all kinds of reasons why people write goals. And there are also all kinds of outside influences that can interrupt the process. Ideally, the goals you set will be truly yours, based on things you really want. But sometimes they might turn out to be your parents' goals for you. Or, maybe they just sounded like good goals in general, looked good on paper, or made you feel important when talking about them with your friends. If you settled on goals that didn't really feel like you, maybe you just didn't know you had other options. It could be that your confidence level has not quite grown to the size of your real goals. It takes a lot of courage to set and achieve your own goals. 

 

I'd like you to reflect on six things before crafting your 2023 Goals.

  1. Brag: Before you set a goal for the future, take a look at your past successes. As you work toward your current goal, having a mental picture of what you've already accomplished will build your confidence.
  1. Examine Who You Are Now: One thing is certain - working toward your goals will change you in both big and small ways. It only takes one new friend, one new book, one new course or conference to change the direction of your life. Take some time to sit quietly and reflect before simply transferring your unfinished goals from 2022 into 2023. Would you really like to achieve that goal now? Does it still have relevance? Let it go if it's not.
  1. Forgive yourself:  So, you set a goal to lose twenty-five pounds, but you only lost five. Maybe you did all you could; maybe you cheated. Maybe, you just simply failed. It's okay! Before you go into a new year, forgive yourself and start over.
  1. Own Who You Are: Take some assessments to get to know who you are and why you do things a certain way. Don't get overwhelmed. Stick to a few that can give you the most insight into yourself. In your 2023 Goals Journal, I recommended a few key assessments I feel are most relevant to goal setting. Some are fee-based; most are free. After you've taken your assessment, list the results in your journal for easy reference.
  1. Remember Your Why by Creating a Visual: whether it's a big vision board, a photo collage on your desk, or just one photo that you take with you on the go, create a visual representation of your goals for 2023. Anything that you can look at every day that reminds you of what you're working for is ideal.  
  1. Expect to Change: have you been dreaming of winning the lottery - Knowing it will completely change your whole life? If you really win the lottery, are your financial affairs set up to adjust to that lifestyle? Do you need a trust fund? A tax attorney. A lawyer. A security team. Start researching those things now. Get ready for the change you are expecting – and make room for it.

 

Have a fabulous week!