I get it — 2020 sucked and it threw plans, travel, goals and so much more out of whack. I tried to stick with the goals I’d set for myself, but some were derailed because there was no traveling to the conferences I’d planned to attend. The effects are still being felt for that because I won’t be attending the 2021 Social Media Marketing World Conference in San Diego, CA in March. Global Pet Expo, in February, in Orlando, FL has gone virtual and the Erma Bombeck Conference I’d planned to attend in Dayton, Ohio went virtual for its October 2020 event.
Virtual is great, don’t get me wrong, but meeting people in person is the best way to network and build relationships. When you’re involved in a virtual chat with hundreds of people in a virtual conference there is truly no way to make that connection. Maybe it’s just me but I do feel I am not alone.
All of this to say… even if your 2020 goals were derailed, now is the time to set goals for 2021. Before you set your new goals, take some time to review what you’d planned for 2020, what you accomplished (I’ll bet it’s more than you imagined) and what your wins were.
How To Set Goals For 2021
Take time this week to plan for the year ahead. Don’t wait until January 1 to set your goals and intentions. Be prepared to jump into the new year on January 1 — even if you’re taking the day off! I know I am not working that day, but I know that when I sit down for my next work day I will be ready. Here are some tips for goal setting.
- What is the time frame for a goal you want to achieve? If you’re going to write a book — for example — how long do you truly think it will take? Do you want to finish it in six months? How many words will it be. Note: Many books are in the 50,000 word range. If your book will be 50,000 words, how many words do you need to write a day in order to get the book done by your six month deadline?
- Set daily goals. These goals could include: drinking X number of glasses of water, getting in X number of steps a day, writing blog posts, making sales calls, etc. Write these goals down on a paper calendar or your electronic calendar. I find that when I write down the daily goals and can cross them off when I’ve completed them, I feel such a sense of accomplishment that it moves me forward!
- Set weekly and monthly goals. If you have weekly or monthly deadlines, write them in your planner. Give yourself a few days grace and don’t wait until the final day to complete that goal/task. What if, for example, you need access to the internet and the power goes out and you’re not done with the assignment because you waited until the last minute? Don’t put yourself in that situation.
- Set personal as well as business goals. How much time do you want to spend with friends and family? How will you spend that time? If the coronavirus pandemic is still with us, your time with friends and family may remain relegated to Zoom meetings or standing out on the sidewalk and having a conversation safely with them.
- Set yourself a stretch goal. What do you want to do that you’ve been putting off? Why have you been putting it off? Why not make 2021 the year that you finally take the leap toward that audacious goal?
A goal not written down is truly just a dream. It will be something that, come the end of 2021, you will be saying, “I wish I’d accomplished XYZ.” If the pandemic has taught me anything it’s that now is the time to set and accomplish goals. I am taking time on Wednesday to review 2020 and plan — at least the first half — of 2021.
What do you do to set goals? Let me know in the comments!
