How To Set Goals You’ll Actually Keep
HOW TO SET GOALS YOU’LL ACTUALLY KEEP
JOY RALLY PODCAST: EPISODE 14
Hey everybody! It’s your friend, Abby, and welcome to another episode of The Joy Rally Podcast. I’m so glad that you guys are here tunin’ in today. (That sounds country.) I’m sitting in my closet, as usual, coming to you live with my stuffy nose that I just got from walking outside five minutes ago. So that’s that.
It is almost time for the new year. It’s funny because, you know, when you’re 18, 21, maybe 25, New Years is about going to Forever 21 and getting a new glittery sequin dress and making plans to go to the club with your friends — maybe this is just me, I don’t know — making plans and going to the club with your friends or going to some crazy party, and you’re just like, “I’ve got to kick off the new years in this incredible way so that I’ll have the best year ever, and who am I gonna kiss on New Years?”
Now, I’m 34, and I have two kids. I’m married, and I get tired at 8:00 PM. What am I doing on New Years? I’ll probably put the kids to bed at their normal time around 7:00, sit on the couch, and watch church on YouTube. That’s where we’re at, guys.
“There are a few steps that we have to take to make sure the resolutions we set are actually things that will happen.”
Anyway, I already know that 2022’s gonna be a great year. 2021 had its challenges, no doubt, but it’s been a really good year. I’m feeling good about 2022, but part of the reason that I’m feeling so good about it is I know that I have some really big goals that I am excited to start reaching for and trying to accomplish in the new year. I know that goals, resolutions, all of that stuff, everybody starts talking about it this time of year, and typically our goals or resolutions that we set we usually drop by, what, the second week of January?
If we even make it through the first week of January, but I wanted to share with you today some ways that I have found that really help us to keep going with our goals and our resolutions. Ways that we can — just little easy things that we can do to help make sure they stick, because I really do think that we all have a lot of really good intentions when we set out to do these things, but there are a few steps that we have to take to make sure that the resolutions we set are actually things that will happen.
Now, I don’t know about you, but at this time of the year I start thinking about all of the things I want to accomplish. The reality is, most won’t happen, but a couple of them are really important to me. Here are a couple things that I’m doing, and I really recommend that you do, too. If you have some big awesome thing, or even something small like I just want to start getting up 30 minutes earlier, here are a couple ways that you can start applying what you want for 2022 to your life right now so that your chances of your goals and resolutions actually happening skyrocket through the roof like let’s do this, y’all!
5 Ways To Stick With Your Goals
1. Write It Down
If you have a goal, a resolution, or something that you want to do in the new year, this is super easy. Write it down. Write it down for yourself so you don’t forget what you said you wanted to do. This could be, literally, just opening a note on your phone and writing it down. This could be, if you have a journal, write it down. If you have a little Moleskine or something in your dresser, write it down. Writing, I don’t know what it is, but the magic of pen, paper, a blank cursor, writing something down is kind of the first step to committing to it. So if you have a goal, write it down right now, seriously. If you’re driving, wait a minute until you stop your car, but write your goal down, dude.
2. Know Your Why
This goes beyond just saying, “I want to get a $5,000 raise,” right? The next step is why do you want to get a $5,000 raise? How is that gonna change your life? What will you do with that extra money? What will that mean for you once you get that $5,000 raise? If you’re going to go to bat for yourself for that raise, know your “why,” know your reasons why, that way when you get in that mindset of, “Oh, I don’t know if it’s possible. I don’t know if I can do it,” you know your “why,” and your “why” is what makes you push harder. Your “why” is what makes you not give up, right? Your “why” is also your reason, when you’re talking to your boss, for why you can be passionate about what you’re asking for and why you can really push your case.
Number one, write it down. Number two, know your “why.”
3. Get Accountability
This is what we all tend to skip, and then our goals go out the window, and it’s like they never happened. Number three is accountability. Now, I typically use Cole for my accountability partner, and I think it actually drives him crazy because he has to be the one who’s like, “You said you weren’t gonna eat chocolate this week. You said you weren’t gonna stay in bed until the kids get up,” or whatever.
It’s so important to have someone who can hold you to the things that you said you were gonna work towards or that you promised you were going to do, so maybe your accountability partner is a spouse or your boyfriend or girlfriend. Maybe your accountability partner is your roommate. Maybe it is your parents. Maybe it is your boss. Maybe it’s your friend at work. Find somebody who sees you in everyday life and can hold you accountable to the things that you say that you’re working towards.
4. Schedule Check-ins
Now, you don’t necessarily have to go in your Google Calendar and schedule this in, but make sure that you’re regularly in conversation with your accountability person so that they know to ask you about the things that you’re supposed to be working on. Honestly, sometimes when I’m really trying to do something, I’ll literally go on Instagram and tell all the people in my Instagram story what I’m doing.
I’ve found that people will start asking me about it when I see them in real life. Those are kind of unscheduled check-ins that keep me in check. Even something little like that I’ve found has worked for me.
5. Reward Yourself
This is one that I feel like a lot of people skip, and it’s one of the most important things. If you’re working towards something, if it’s hard for you, or if it’s a struggle, you need to have a reward on the other side that makes you want to keep going. So number five is reward yourself. You know what I’m saying? If you want to not buy new shoes for three months. If you start January first, make sure that on March whatever (I can’t count) you have some sort of reward set up for yourself. Maybe if you make it that three months you get a really cute pair of shoes at the end or you take yourself out to a nice dinner or — I don’t know, what do people like these days? Figure out what you love, something that gets you really hyped and makes you really excited. Maybe schedule a night out with your girlfriends if you make it those three months.
Whatever you need to do, make sure you have a reward for yourself and you’re so much more likely to keep going to actually get to the reward.
If you want to set goals that you’ll actually keep for 2022, these are the five things that I highly recommend. I’m going to be doing them as well.
- Write it down
- Know your “why”
- Get accountability
- Schedule check-ins
- Reward yourself
Now, I would love to know what your goals and resolutions are for the new year if you have them. So come on over to Instagram and DM me, @abbyflynnco and let me know what you’re planning for the new year. I’d love to hear about it, cheer you on, and even be your accountability partner if you’re up for it. Let me know.
Also, feel free to shoot me a DM and let me know anytime if there are any specific topics you guys want to hear about on the podcast.
Thanks so much for listening. Feel free to share this with a friend. Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!
I’m so glad to have you guys here on The Joy Rally Podcast, and I’ll see you next episode. Peace!