6 Tips for Goal Setting & Growth in 2012 + FREEBIE PRINTABLE!

Happy 2012!  

If you want a year-end recap of our family journey in 2011, hop on over to Confident of This for the scoop, including our family Christmas card, featuring TOMS shoes :)

I'm sure many of you have started to think about your New Year resolutions for the next 12 months: to spend more time with friends, get skinny, get out of debt, get organized - I think those probably top the list as the most common New Years resolutions for many Americans.

But I have to be honest: I'm not a huge fan of resolutions.  I think they are often simply empty promises we make to ourselves, or at least that's how they've worked out for me in the past. Perhaps you are more action oriented in your resolve ;)

What I do like are goals and plans. I like to have a road map of what I want and where I'm going.  I'm not always great at this, but when I do take the time to have a goal planning session, it's so fruitful!

As I seek to set goals for the months and year ahead, here are some tips I will be using to keep myself on track:

1.) MAKE SPACE. Goal setting starts with setting aside time to really think and pray over what we hope to accomplish. One quiet hour can be so refreshing and bring much perspective, so find a way to escape for some solitude and renewed vision.

2.) ASK FOR HELP. My mind is {very} often a busy, jumbled place.  For me, spending devotional time in God's Word and prayer brings focus to the ten thousand things I want to accomplish.  Proverbs 19:21 says: "Many are the plans in a person’s heart, 

   but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails." 

If I skip this step, I may put hours of energy into a goal that is not God's best for me, so this one can't be missed {in my opinion ;)}

3.) WRITE 'EM DOWN. Have you ever heard that saying that the difference between successful folks who actually accomplish their goals and those who do not achieve goals they've set is simply that the former write down what they hope to accomplish? 

Getting your goals on paper is critical to your success. I like to 

1.) Start with a simple brainstorm

2.) Prioritize the most important goal areas that I should pursue.

3.) Write out an action plan for each goal.

I like a good ol' fashion list for this step, but you may also want to try an idea map, like this:

via mymindmap.net

Whatever works for you :) Just get it on paper girl!

4.) ESTABLISH A TIMELINE.  If I don't give myself a deadline, it might never get done!  Write out your action steps with a timeline of when they should be completed.

5.) MOVE INTO MOTION. Maybe it's just a few baby steps, but be sure that you write out action steps for each goal you've set.  These should be measurable steps: ones you can check off once they are completed. 

You may have heard of the little acronym S.M.A.R.T. as a guide to goal setting.

via Lindsay B., pinterest, from officedynamics.com

Check out TopAchievement for a helpful, detailed explanation of these 5 points to SMART Goal Setting, specifically more on what a "measurable" step might look like.

6.)VISUALIZE.  My dear friend Kristine, a Mary Kay consultant, taught me this one.  She regularly makes little posters with prizes she hopes to earn as a MK consultant.  She'll simply cut out the photos from a catalogue and tape or glue to a paper... you can go as fancy or simple as you like on this... don't get  too complicated!  After Kristine has her poster, she hangs it somewhere she will see it every day, like on the bathroom mirror or fridge. 

Writing goals down and seeing a visual on a daily basis are two essential, key tips in successful goal setting!  You have to keep those goals in the forefront of your mind or they'll fly right out the window!

In closing, I'm excited to share a helpful New Year Goal Planning freebie printable with you!  

click here to download

I'll be using this for one for myself too ---- working on getting down written goals on paper and up on the fridge.  Let's check in soon & keep the motivation going strong!

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What about you? Have you been setting goals for the New Year? What have you found helpful? Did you use this goal planning worksheet?

---I LOVE YOUR COMMENTS --- Please leave one & let me know what you're up to for 2012!

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