I love goals! I’m somewhat of a goals fanatic, and one of my favorite things to do, regardless of the time of year, is to sit down with pen and paper and map out my dreams and goals for the year ahead. There are 3 types of goals that I believe everyone can benefit from setting – daily goals, lifetime goals, and categorical goals – because each one helps us to achieve a different purpose.
As we shift into 2020, a new year, new possibilities, new hopes, new dreams, now is the perfect time to start planning what’s important to us and what we want this new year to bring! So, grab a pen and paper and start writing…
Daily Goals
Run. Meditate. Go for a walk. Cook a healthy breakfast or dinner. Read before bed. Write before work. Practice yoga. Sip a cup of tea every morning.
Setting daily goals is one of the quickest ways to change everything. It doesn’t have to last longer than a few minutes every day to make a huge impact. Allot any amount of time to your daily goals that you’re capable of. It really isn’t the amount of time that matters, it’s the consistency. It’s the fact that you’re doing it on a daily basis. Running for 10 minutes a day = 60 hours of running a year (roughly 11 marathons). Reading for 30 minutes a day = 182 hours of reading a year (roughly 7 books). Writing 1 page a day = 365 pages of writing a year (that’s a book!). Setting a daily goal, no matter how long it’s for, is one of the quickest ways to enact big changes in your life. There is so much benefit in this. You’ll be moving closer to your goals every day, and by spending a few extra minutes of time on yourself each day, you’ll be adding to your overall happiness and well-being.
Lifetime Goals
Travel the world. Buy a house. Fall in love and start a family. Retire and move to the mountains. Write a book. Write 10 books. Start a business.
Make a list of the goals that you want to accomplish during your lifetime, and be willing to change them often. Our goals change constantly with our perspective on life. When we’re in our 20’s and 30’s, success may be at the forefront of our thinking—finding a job, buying a house, making money. But when we get older, our priorities shift and our goals change. We may care less about success and more about our health and spending time with our families. What are your goals (today) for your life? What’s the most important thing to do/be/experience during your limited amount of time here?
Categorical Goals
Take art classes (creativity), eat more fruits and vegetables (health), make an effort to meet more people (friendship), spend 3 weeks out of the year in another country (travel).
Make a list of goals that you want to accomplish in different areas of your life. Our goals are often so specific that we end up concentrating only on one area of our lives and forgetting about all the others. We may be so focused on career or family that we forget to take care of our health or nurture our spiritual and creative sides. It’s important to be aware of all aspects of our life, not just one or two, and dedicate time to all of them that are important to us. Perhaps we can only afford to spend 10 minutes a day meditating, or 10 minutes a day reading, or 10 minutes a day exercising… but that’s still 10 minutes given to areas of our lives that weren’t getting our attention before.
Do you know what your goals are in the following areas?
Health
Career
Family
Friendship
Love
Happiness
Spirituality
Creativity
Travel
Money
Education
