Hey everyone, welcome back!

If you missed last Monday’s post about some of my favorite resources to get motivated for the new year, you can check it out here. If you’re all up to speed, thanks for joining!

In my last post, I referenced Brendon Burchard’s research about goal setting for the next three years and did my best to hype you up for this year with some great resources. If you’re still on the fence about diving into the new year with drive, determination and the belief that you can manifest greatness for yourself, stick with me. This is about to be a good one 😉

In this post, I’m going to break down some tangible ways you can set yourself up for success and hopefully provide some answers to my Instagram poll to teach you how to effectively measure your growth throughout the year.

A few weeks ago, I was sprawled out on the floor of my sister’s apartment with sticky notes, each a different size and color and of course, colored pens that coordinated as well. On the biggest sticky notes I wrote three goals: one personal, one professional and another, financial. These are the pillars of my growth and ultimately, what every other decision throughout the year will lead back to. Then, I placed these notes at the top of what became my vision board.

From there, I assessed how I would need to attain each goal in detail using both skill sets and task related items. As I chatted about in my last post, Brendon Burchard teaches that the only thing setting us back from the person we are and the person we want to be, are a certain set of skills we don’t currently have. So, I sat down and tried to determine what skills I would need to ascertain in order to achieve these three pillar goals for myself.

And then, I took another sticky note for each month of the year, January through December, and put them underneath the pillar goals. From there, I began planning out a balance of tasks and skills that I would need to accomplish to reach my goals.

You still with me? Hang on, we’re still gettin’ to the juicy part 😉 

Once I started planning out each month of my progress, I scheduled check-in dates throughout the year in which I will reassess. I literally marked them in my calendar to hold myself accountable all year long. Am I reaching my targets for this quarter? Am I on track to obtain my financial goals? Have I focused enough on my personal achievements? You get the idea.

Many of you who participated in my poll said that you’re not quite sure how to measure growth yet, and that’s okay! I think creating goals for yourself in key areas of your life will be the first step. And you don’t need to be sprawled out with sticky notes and color coordinated pens, but write it down.  Establishing your goals on paper, letting them leave your head and become a concrete visual is the first step!!

Next, figure out what you need to do/change/create to reach those goals. Then, set up check-ins to hold yourself accountable. Maybe it’s by scheduling them in your calendar, setting up an alarm in your phone each week to see if the decisions you’re making are laddering back to your pillar goals, or even, checking in with a close friend or loved one.

So many of us are quick to accomplish goals solo, and I hear ya loud and clear. I do. But sometimes, it is incredibly helpful to open ourselves up to others so that they can check in with you, too! You may have caught it earlier, but I sat on the floor of my sister’s apartment while creating this 2019 vision board because she’s someone I can count on, 100%. She motivates me and helps to walk me through each touchpoint of anxiousness that may have come up while discerning my goals. Find someone you can be real with and share your dreams with them. It’s helpful to have a cheerleader along the way. And if you’re not sure who to turn to, know that I’m over here cheering for you, too!

No dream is too big. Visualize your dreams in great detail. Walk yourself through a day in the life of the best version of you. And now, figure out what sets you apart from who you are and who you want to be.

Keep it up, friends!