Why You Should Set Goals for 2019

It’s crazy to think that we’re already in 2019. Another year is beginning and before you know it, we’ll be celebrating the big 2020. Don’t let this year escape from you. 

If I’ve learned anything in 2018, it’s that you can accomplish whatever you want as long as your intentions are clear. That’s why I decided that my word of 2019 is intentional. I want everything that I do to be intentional and push me toward another goal. 

In 2018, I started listening to podcasts for the first time. I listened to podcasts about manifesting your dreams, setting goals, and bringing purpose to your everyday activities. I learned that while I had a lot of things I was working towards, I wasn’t clear with exactly how or when I would achieve them. It’s so important to set deadlines and be specific with exactly what you’re trying to achieve. That way, you can take the necessary steps to get there, because it won’t all happen at once.

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Here are some of my tips for goal setting: 

1. Be Specific 

You can’t just throw out some goal like, “I want to be better at cooking” or “I want to be more fit.” Choose something that’s measurable. We naturally want to feel like we’ve accomplished something, or else we’ll lose all motivation if we don’t meet any benchmarks along the way. So for example, change those to, “I want to learn 4 new recipes each month” and “I want to work out for 35 minutes at least 4 times every week.” That way, you can make charts, calendars, lists, or any visuals that will help you track your progress and motivate you to keep going. 

Check out this planner from Amazon, which is a GREAT resource to find the perfect planner to make sure you define and meet your goals all year long. 

2. Set Deadlines

This may not apply to every single one of your goals, but setting deadlines will further motivate you to stay on track. Once you’ve made your goals measurable, you can then set the time frame of when you want to achieve them. So if we return to your workout goals, you could say, “I want to be able to squat 70 pounds by May” or something along those lines. You could even plan it out month by month (though that might be overwhelming) noting where you want to be each month of the coming year. I recommend setting goals with time frames such as “I want to read 1 book a week” or “I want to master 10 new Spanish vocab words every week.” Things like that will make sure you’re getting done what you want to every month or week, and not letting the year slip by. Plus it’s habit-forming, which will keep you on track even more. 

3. Set Big and Small Goals

Don’t get overwhelmed thinking you absolutely have to set huge career or financial goals, but don’t forget to dream big either. It’s good to have a balance of something as simple as working out more or reading more in addition to setting a big budget or investment goal. All of the podcasts that I listened to last year mentioned that even the simple act of writing things down and putting them out there makes you more inclined to work towards achieving them. So don’t go crazy, but don’t limit yourself. You’ll see my goals list below and I hesitated even writing some of them down, but none of them are impossible. Sure some may require more effort, time, and money, but I’m not expecting them to happen immediately. 

 

 

I’m extremely intimidated for this year. It’s the first year that I have no idea where I’m going, what I’ll be doing, or what’s going to happen this year. 2019 is a blank slate and it’s up to me to start filling it up. Below are some of my goals for this upcoming year. Big or small, I hope to achieve all of them and potentially even set some more along the way!

Monthly Goals

  • Read 2 books a month 
  • Learn 2 new dinner recipes each month 

By May 2019

  • Monetize YouTube channel
  • Make at least $300 from blogging 

By the End of 2019

  • Finish a feature-length screenplay 
  • Visit at least 2 new countries
  • Be conversational in Italian

Let me know some of your 2019 goals in the comments below! 

how to set goals