Can you know where you’re headed if you don’t know where you’ve been?
I think so. But I also think it’s important to reflect on what makes you happy, what doesn’t, and how you can get more of the former. That’s why I started today with a reflection of 2020. Admittedly, I was pretty far off on hitting my goals this year. For some of the goals I set, COVID def got in the way, but for a lot of them, I got in the way.
What do I mean by that?
Well, like most people, I’m not immune to fear. I took a big step back from social media this year and spent a lot of it in pajamas and watching way too much TV. Do you know what that amounts to? Not a lot of great content lol. I found, however, that even when I did create content, I was so afraid to post it. I don’t even know why! I think it’s because I produced half the amount of it as I did in 2019, but was hoping for the same results. So when I didn’t get the engagement I was hoping for, I was disappointed and fear crept in. I think this can happen to the best of us.
So, this year to amp myself up, I did what I normally do and I started asking myself the hard questions.
If you read my post last year, these might look familiar:
If I was doing exactly what makes me happy, what would my life look like?
If I was a better partner, what would I be doing differently from what I do today?
If I was at my financial goal, what would that look like?
If I was crushing it in my career, what would I be doing?
If I was doing God’s work, what would that look like?
What is something I’ve been wanting to do to grow but it always gets put on the back burner?
Then I set out to write my goals.
Purpose Goals
These are the goals that bring you closer to your best life. Why were you put on this earth? What would bring you true fulfillment? It’s ok if you don’t have these answers yet, the key here is to be closer to those answers 365 days from now. Do you know how to do that? Invest time in thinking about those things.
My 2020 goals looked like this:
- Find fulfillment
Benefits: Do God’s work, make a difference, live up to my potential
The big question here is HOW do I do that? So I broke out my goals into a few categories.
Personal Goals
These are the goals that fall under personal development. Do you long to continue your education? Buy a new home? Get a new hobby? Start a new career? Live a healthier life?
My 2020 goals here look like this:
- Grow CurlynFab- the brand: I definitely did not hit my goal of 60k instagram followers, especially since I averaged about 2-3 posts per month.
- Keep up blogging: I posted 7 blog posts last year, I don’t think I’d call this a win 😀
- Speak at 4 speaker events – I hit this one! 3 hair events, 1 corporate event
Career Goals
Here I look at where I want to be next year with my career. Some years, it’s not with the same company- and that’s OK!
For 2020:
- Hit all targets and maximize full bonus – I hit just over 50% of my goal. It was definitely a tough year, but you learn more in failure than you do in success. As my last day of work WAS YESTERDAY before maternity leave, I left feeling pretty motivated to continue to learn my craft. Selling post-COVID should also be more exciting.
- Get Involved- This year I became the VP of the Women’s Network at my work, and I’m so happy I put my name on the ticket for this. I’ve met some really great people, and the work is inspiring.
- Make networking a priority- get out of my comfort zone. Definitely, something I will need to continue to work on. Coffee chats on coffee chats for 2021!
Health Goals
Health means different things to different people. I’d encourage you to think both about your physical and mental health here. These goals might say hit the gym or cut that toxic relationship. Either way, focus on what would make you feel a little lighter in life.
For 2020:
- Hit the gym 3 times per week (Monday, Thursday, and one-weekend date) – hit this until about 8 months pregnant, and then it was just stretching
- Prep balanced meals- make sure your meals contain a lot of colours, don’t skip breakfast! Nailed this!
- Meditate 5 times a week- continue to invest in the Headspace app (Not sponsored), Nailed this! Mental health was a top priority for me this year
- Be financially healthy (See below).
Prosperity
Do you have a budget? Do you stick to it? I haven’t looked at my budget in some time and it’s something I need to get back to. I’ve got a whole spreadsheet that I used to fill in once a month. Keeping your budget top of mind will help you get to the other goals you have (paying for school, buying a new house, paying off your credit card).
My 2020 goals looked like this:
- Re-write your budget and stick to it- this did not happen 😐
- Write down everything you purchase or make sure to look at your bank statements monthly- I looked at my bank statements, but I could have been less sloppy with my spending this year. Amazon is just too easy!
- Save xxx amount of dollars/paycheck – Nailed this!
- Have a down payment on a new home – Nailed this!
People/Relationship Goals
Who is in your circle? They say you are a combination of the 5 people you spend the most time with. This year I wanted to work on my relationship goals, including being a better friend and family member.
2020
- Find like-minded people. Go to networking events, get involved at work functions, make plans, and stick to them- Nailed this!
- Work on family relationships- do more, expect less- I was hoping to see more of family, but I could do a better job of planning zoom calls.
- A respectful and loving relationship with hubs. He is a wealth of knowledge, remember that he can provide great information (drop your pride).
Play Goals
I think this one is important to include. Without play, you limit joy and growth. One of my play goals is to try a new experience once a month. This year hubs and I couldn’t do a lot of the stuff we were hoping to do (like shuck oysters and take wine classes), but we were able to get out to the driving range together, try a few new restaurants at home, and first thing this morning we purchased MasterClass so we can take a few courses together.
I hope this post helps you with structuring your goals a little more if they’re something you have never focussed on. Feel free to leave in the comments other areas you include in your goals that I may not have listed here!