7 Goals to Set for the New Year

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Today’s post is from Rachel from Smart Mom Smart Ideas. She’s sharing great tips for how to start 2016 on the right foot with these 7 goals to set for the New Year!

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As the new year begins, you may be like me reviewing the past year and looking forward to plans for the new year.  You probably have a new planner for all your plans and goals.  While you don’t need a new year to set new goals or update your current goals, a new year seems like the right time to evaluate the past and set new goals.

Goals are important because they are the starting point.  They give us a guide and direction to follow in the future.  If you have clear goals, your goals will help guide decisions you make and how you spend your time.

I have recently heard about setting 90 day goals or quarterly goals and then reviewing and updating them every 90 days to keep them current.   A 90 day plan seems an a great way to keep your goals targeted, it’s long enough to know if something works.

To get started, let’s look at 7 goals you should set to guide you for the new year and keep you focused for the next 90 days.

7 Goals to Start Today

For each goal below, consider your life and circumstances and set a goal and action steps to reach the goal.

Family

Your family is one of the most important priorities you can set.  As you consider your family, think about what type of goal will grow your family’s relationships with each other?  For example, if your goal is to improve family relationships, you could plan family game night once a week or plan a full day Saturday or Sunday family outing once a month.

What goal do you want to set that would enhance your family relationships?  Set goals that will build and strengthen your family.  

Spiritual

How would you like to improve your spiritual life?  What one action could you take that would improve your spiritual life during the next 3 months?  

What if you add quiet time for reading and meditation every morning?  What if you read more books with spiritual insights to increase your faith?

Children

Different from the family goal which is the whole family, this goal is specific to each child and their unique needs.  What goals do you want to set for your children and how can you help them be successful?  Do you want to help them improve their grades in school?  Maybe you want to spend time with each of them every day or have a special date night every month?

Set a unique goal for each of your children based on their unique needs and how you can help them.

Health

What goals do you have for you health?  No matter what your current health situation is (good or poor), there’s always a way you can improve your health.  Do you need to eat healthier foods?  Limit desserts to only once a week?  Exercise a little every day?

Improving your health is difficult.  You don’t have to make every health change all at once, just start with one goal and improve gradually, then add another one till reach the complete goal.  Health and weight issues are a struggle for many of us.  Start with one goal and be successful, then add another step in the process.

Financial

What is your financial situation?  What goal do you want to set for your finances?  If you have no debt, you may be saving for your children’s college tuition or your retirement.  If you have debt, you can set goals to start paying off your debt (little by little and step by step can make a difference over time).

If you struggle with finances, consider a class like Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace or his book, The Total Money Makeover to give you a clear financial plan to follow.

Education

What do you want to learn this year or in the next 90 days?  Do you take online classes and courses or do you read books?  How do you continue to grow your knowledge and learn new things?

If you take online classes, be sure to set clear timelines for yourself to complete them or you will find the courses do not get done.

If you plan to read books, don’t just say you will read 5 books.  Choose the books you plan to read and develop a reading schedule.  Will you complete one book every week or every two weeks?

Professional

What goals have you set for yourself professionally?  Do you want to earn a raise or a promotion at work?  How can you accomplish that goal?  Develop a plan that helps you understand where you are going with your career or you will just drift.

What if you own your own business?  Have you set business goals?  What do you want your business to accomplish?  How can or will you increase your income?  Aside from income, what other goals and purposes do you have for your business.

As you look at this list of goals for family, spiritual life, children, health, finances, education and professional life, everyone’s goals will be unique within each category.  Every day we make decisions about our children, our family, and how we spend our time.  Setting goals in each of these areas will show us what is most important and what should demand our attention right now.

Remember, as your review your goals in 90 days, it’s okay to change or adjust your goals based on what is working and what is not working and what you think will help you be successful.

Over the next few days, take some time and start planning your goals.

Your turn…

What goals are you planning?  Do you set your goals and review them every 90 days for adjustment and improvements?