Yearly Planning - Without the Pressure

It’s the beginning of the year, which means it’s time for us to start making our plans for what goals we want to achieve in this season of 365 days.

Many of us arrive at the start of a new year bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and wanting to accomplish ALL the things. And you know what? We have the complete right to realize only our wildest dreams as we personally see fit!

Yet, in having large or multiple goals to achieve, we may have trouble organizing our thoughts, determining our course of action, or searching for the resources needed to accomplish said goals. And because we’re only human, the future-planning-honeymoon-phase may begin to fade, only to be replaced by the dreaded feeling of being overwhelmed by our goals, or even the self-doubt that may creep in and slow down - or halt - our progress.

But not this time! Why?

Because the sooner we realize that we deserve our personal greatness, and that nothing worth having goes without planning and hard work, the more determined we’ll be to do what is necessary to make our vision a reality.

With that, we must remember to go after what we want relentlessly - so to speak - without being relentless with ourselves. So, how can we ease the process of planning so that we effectively reach our goals, yet without the added pressure of rigid deadlines, or even the fear of failing? Because that will happen from time to time.

Well, bring it in for a second . . . because I’m going to share with you 6 things that have helped me plan out my goals from year-to-year, without being so hard on myself if things don’t work exactly as I originally envisioned.

Ready?

Write it Down

It could just be me, but there’s something that makes writing down what I want to accomplish all the more real! It gives me a visual to which I have to hold myself accountable. In writing down your goals, you’d have a physical way to track your progress and alter priorities as needed. Too, there’s a certain satisfaction that comes from crossing out or checking off a goal, making a person feel that much more accomplished!

Set the Overall Goal

This is where you go BIG! Think about the one or many things you want to accomplish, then write them down. Don’t limit yourself either . . . like literally express only your wildest dreams! This will help you articulate your goal(s), all while making your intentions clearer in what you want and how you plan to get there.

Checkpoint Goals

Now, this will help you break down the larger goal(s) into smaller, easily achievable goals. Think about this process being the strategy to reach the overall achievement you have in mind. I always say my checkpoint goals are “the lilypads that help me get to the other side of the lake.”

Because these goals are much smaller, in the event that we don’t reach them, it’s not so devastating. Too, these smaller goals will be easier to combine to get us back on track for the big win.

Celebrate the Wins

Today’s society has championed the pattern of making an achievement, then quickly setting the course for the next. Big or small, every win should be acknowledged, celebrated, and reflected upon. Now, you don’t have to throw yourself a party each time you accomplish something . . . unless you want to, of course! But make sure you do something nice for yourself as a reminder that you’re on the right track, and you’ve done an amazing job so far!

Fail with Grace

Although we never like to think about it, failing is all part of the process in reaching our goals, and ultimately growth. This is an area where I still need major work. Yet, I’ve made some progress in recent years. When we fail, we shouldn’t beat ourselves up about it. Without failing, the lessons in our journey may not have as much of an impact. So rather than “setting up camp" in our failure to meet a deadline or complete a particular goal as we originally planned, process the feeling, extract the lesson, and apply the learning to be able to move onto a better course. Although easier said than done, this will take the scariness out of the necessary failures, while giving yourself the grace to do so.

Remember, all in Due Time

So what if after all of this planning, strategy, and obtaining the necessary resources, we still end up not meeting our goal in the time we allotted ourselves to do so? Say it with me: All in due time. Anything that is meant for us to accomplish will happen as it should, and when it should. Our talent and gifts always make room for us when we allow them to. This doesn’t mean throw out planning and leave everything to chance . . . we know “faith without works is dead”. However, this will help you continue with positivity on the road to achieving what you know you are meant to achieve, while not falling apart if it all doesn’t happen when you say it should. The main thing is to have faith that it will happen.

If we learned anything last year, it is that we should be gentle and kind, not only with others, but with ourselves, too. And in being gentle with ourselves, we can apply this to how we set and go after our goals. This in no way means that we lessen our dreams by any stretch of the imagination. As I stated before, we all deserve our personal best! However, we simply change the approach and lessen the burden of how we make those dreams our full reality.

How do you plan on making yearly goal setting a more positive experience for yourself? Share your thoughts below!