Hello!
It’s my favourite time of year – goal setting time!
If you’ve been following for a while, you’ll know I love all things organisation, goals and planning (even if I am also a Queen Procrastinator and spend more time making lists than doing the things on them… it’s a work in progress) – every month I make mini goals that help keep me focused and working on my yearly goals, every week I make a spread in my bullet journal that helps me work on the tasks in my monthly goals and I’ve been setting yearly goals ‘properly’ (as in, actually tracking them) for probably three or four years now? So I’m getting better at figuring out what I actually want and what’s achievable.
And if we’re learnt anything from 2020 is that something can always throw a massive spanner in the works no matter how hard we try to avoid it, so I learnt a lot about being okay with not ‘achieving’ my goals and knowing that it’s not always a personal failure if I don’t do something. As well as knowing that goals and priorities change – last year I wanted to learn website design and photography, but actually, that’s not a priority for me right now so I didn’t make the time for it.
It’s all about balance and making ‘SMART’ goals. I know I sound like a University Careers officer, but making Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound goals takes practice and breaking bigger tasks into smaller (smart) goals will make them more achievable in the long run. Sometimes waiting for the long run or seeing ‘the bigger picture’ is the real challenge. Whether it’s your career, health and fitness, personal hobbies or anything else, a year isn’t going to perform miracles – I’m not going to reach my goal weight healthily in a year no matter how hard I try, I’m not going to reach my long-term career goals and I’m not going to be able to grow my hair down to my butt – they’re not achievable and that’s fine. But I can set a smaller healthy weight goal that aligns with long term weight loss, I can work towards certain career aspirations that are steps towards my long term aspirations and I can promise myself I’m not going to drastically cut my hair.
The key for me is writing everything down – whether it’s the big life-time goals or the little tasks to do next week, having a note of it makes it much easier to remember.
With all that said; here are my 2021 goals. Because I’m a little bit of an organisation nerd, I have three categories each with three goals (I also like the number three) and then a list of ‘bucket list’ goals that aren’t category specific.
PROFESSIONAL GOALS:
- Start my new job!
- Make a proper portfolio – on my blog, on Instagram and an up-to-date Showreel
- Adapt a book into a screenplay (to learn about screenwriting from experience)
PERSONAL GOALS:
- Start a bookstagram and get involved in the book community online
- Make a cosplay costume – a mix of buying and making things
- Find a therapist
HOME GOALS:
- Savings goals – wedding, house and personal
- Organise wedding – complete 2021 tasks list
- Travel (pandemic allowing):
- International Holiday with fiancé (if safe)
- Centre Parcs with family (if safe)
- MCM Comic Con London (if the con is even on)
‘BUCKET LIST’ GOALS:
- Read 25 books
- Writing challenges – January 30k, April 35k, July 40k, September 45k, November 50k
- Monthly date nights!
- Find a dance class (COVID allowing)
- Knit myself a Weasley inspired jumper
- 1 Second Everyday 2021 video
- Limited spending; less personal spending
- Actually go to the dentist/doctors when necessary
- Sew more – finish t-shirt blanket, fix clothes, make new things, learn about making clothes!
- Get another tattoo (COVID and finances allowing… but please I really want one)
To make my goals more specific, I do have savings goals and spending limits on the finance related goals but finances are so personal and these are what are (hopefully) achievable for me and I don’t want to give the impression that my savings goals are ‘normal’, so I’ll keep them private.
But other specific goals like my wedding organisation list – I know exactly what tasks I have to achieve this year to be on track and I have a 2022 list for all the final planning, my writing challenges are assigned to months with word goals, rather than ‘more’ date nights it’s ‘monthly’ date nights – I’m not by any means suggesting I’m an expert on goal setting, but having specific and time-bound tasks make it all feel more achievable to me at least.
Regardless of whether you’re setting goals or not, I hope there are at least some positive aspects of 2020 you can look back on and I wish you the best for 2021, in your goals and aspirations but primarily your health and happiness – Happy New Year!
Thank you for reading – I hope you and your loved ones are happy, healthy and staying safe!
Sophie xx
sophie counts clouds 