Benjamin Franklin was well known for his saying,“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”. Now, although this might sound harsh, there is some credibility to this thought. Since childhood, we have been told to plan and make sure we have goals in mind that we wish to achieve. Sadly, as we age, we may have less time to reflect and may fall into the belief that planning is not an important part of achieving success. Whether the goals are related to your health, career, family life or yourself; it is important to identify what you want to achieve in the upcoming year and how you plan on achieving them.

Here are six steps for planning out your goals and staying on track for the new year.

1. Reflect, review and refocus

A lot can happen in one year! Take your time and reflect on what happened in 2021, whether it was big or small, high or low. What you are grateful for and when were you too harsh on yourself? Write down what you achieved no matter how big or small. Remember that within every success or failure, there is a lesson. Think about where you would like to be by the end of 2022, and these goals will change your life.

2. Be clear

It is so important to ensure that your goals are well defined and realistic. Consider what you are hoping to achieve and when you want to achieve this. This will give you direction and purpose, to help you work towards accomplishing goals.

3. Identify potential disruptions

Although we should be approaching our goals with a positive mindset, it also helps to identify any possible issues that may lie ahead. If you are presented with any disruptions, please don’t give up. Take a step back. Give yourself time to feel your feelings (yes, they are valid!); refocus and adjust your goals, if necessary.

4. Have a plan of action

Once you have an understanding of how you can achieve your goals, put together a plan with milestones you can tick off every week or month, to monitor your progress along the way. This will help you so stay focused and it makes your goals less daunting. This will also allow you to readjust your goals if you need to.

5. Celebrate the wins

It can be easy to lose sight of your success! So, don’t forget to celebrate all the wins along the way, no matter how big or small they might be. Remember that all these little wins are getting you one step closer to achieving your main goal!

6. Gratitude

Write down what you are grateful for daily. Whether it is the warmth of the sun after a cold winter or the book you are reading, there are many things to be grateful for in your life (even on the bad days). Keep this list handy and read over it when you need to.

Now you’re thinking, “well, what if I don’t achieve a goal?”. My answer to you is this:

IT IS OKAY.

The most important thing we can be is kind, and that includes being kind to ourselves. We are quick to forgive others of their transgressions but we often find that we hold ourselves to expectations that are sometimes far out of our reach. So, in 2022, we implore you to be kind to yourself and accept that sometimes, life will take over and our carefully curated set of goals may fall through the cracks. If that happens, remember to accept this and then move forward. YOU’VE GOT THIS!

We wish you a successful, gentle and calm 2022!

With love,

Hella