I type this post every year and it’s for good reason – people still make resolutions and break them every time.
Don’t get me wrong – if you’re the type to stick to your New Year’s resolutions, I applaud you! Most people usually give up around Valentine’s Day and by the time January 1st rolls back around, they start the same process over.
Me? I used to be a New Year’s resolutions type of gal. And every year like clockwork, I would break them as if I never even made them at all. Sometimes, I didn’t even get started on one before the whole list just went to crap.
Some years ago, one of my friends on Facebook posted on how he was almost done with his quarter goals and an idea struck my head – goals for every quarter? Doable goals? Sign me up, chief!
So, it began – every year for the past decade-plus, I have made quarterly goals. I divided the year in three-month chunks, and made a list of doable goals to accomplish in those three months. Was I always successful? Well, it depends on one’s definition of success. Did I accomplish a few of the things in three months? Yes. Did I accomplish everything? No. And that’s okay.
It’s not a race to the finish. I’m competing with no one other than myself. However, I want to have goals that’ll keep me pushing and striving to improve, and I think everyone should do that regardless of the resolution.
Here’s a sample of my 1st Quarter Goals – January – March 2023:
- Lose 10 lbs.
- Go on a small vacation.
- Release 3 books.
- Work on screenplay.
- Save $500.00
You see, my list isn’t very big and that’s the point. It’s doable. If I focus, I can definitely save $500.00 within 3 months. I can definitely lose 10 pounds in 3 months. I can definitely release 3 books in 3 months.
None of this is a quick fix or some magic I hope to conjure out of thin air. it’s all stuff I know I can do and be focused on.
So, my tips for creating great, doable quarterly goals:
- Keep it simple. Don’t make goals that’ll take forever and a day to do. The goals here is to make a challenge, but not to break the bank or you.
- Keep it small. I listed five goals above, and that’s plenty. Some goals will take some time, and you don’t need to rush through them. The whole goal is to make you more focused, not more stressed.
- If you don’t accomplish one goal, you can move to the next quarter. However, you must complete it that subsequent quarter! If you keep moving the goal post, you’ll never reach the goal.
- Make sure you have a small celebration when you achieve one goal and then something when you achieve all of your goals. You don’t need to go all out, but let’s say you accomplish saving some money! You should treat yourself to a nice spa day or buy something small. It’ll give you a reason to look forward to accomplishing your goals!
- Have fun! Get creative. Use these goals as a way to do some #selfcare.
Keep it simple. Don’t create more stress with this. You might surprise yourself with what you accomplish in just a short time!
What are your goals for this first quarter?