At the start of every year, I resolve to set some goals for myself. Resolute, I set out to make a plan that would help me focus my energies on the things that are most important to me. To be honest, this doesn’t always work out the way I want, and I chop and change things along the way.
And so, I present to you my broad goals (tentative, they may be) for the next year:
1. Blog and business: I will focus on writing quality content, and growing my blog and online businesses to achieve at least 3 streams of passive income.
2. Life: I will focus on my health and relationships. I will make time for self-care and will strive to be more present in my day-to-day life. I will also work on creating a more balanced lifestyle.
But how do you go about setting goals and how can you make this work for you?
Setting goals for your blog
First, ask yourself these questions:
- What do you want to achieve with your blog in the next year?
- What kind of content do you want to produce?
- What kind of impact do you want to have on your readers?
Setting goals for your blog can help you measure your progress and motivate you to continue writing.
Below are some ideas of what you could aim for with your blog in the next year:
- Write one new blog post each week
- Produce at least 18 blog posts throughout the year
- Reach a total of 1 000 views on your blog
- Gain 100 new followers
- Engage with your readers by responding to comments on your blog posts
- Create a free downloadable ebook or resource for your readers
- Partner with another blogger or business to co-host a giveaway
- Be featured on another blog or website
No matter what your goals are, setting them for your blog can help you stay on track and improve your blog over time.
What goals will you set for your blog in the next year?
Setting goals for your business
When it comes to business (and life), success comes from having a clear and attainable goal.
Without a goal, your business can quickly become aimless, directionless, and frustrating. That’s why it’s important to set SMART goals for your business – goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
By doing so, you can ensure that your business is always moving forward and growing. So, what are some goals you should set for your business?
First, you should always be looking to increase your revenue. But simply increasing your revenue is not enough; you need to set a specific goal for how much you want to increase your revenue by.
This could be a percentage increase or a dollar amount increase. Whatever you choose, make sure it is achievable.
Another goal you could set for your business is to improve your customer service. This could mean goal setting for the number of complaints you receive, the average satisfaction score from customer surveys, or the number of customers you lose each month.
Whatever metric you choose, customer service is an important area to focus on, as it can have a direct impact on your bottom line.
These are just a few of the goals you could set for your business, but they are all important goals that can help you to ensure your business is moving forward.
So, take the time to sit down and identify the goals that are most important for your business and start working towards them today.
Setting life goals
If you’re anything like me, setting goals is an ideal way for staying motivated. But it’s not always easy to set goals, especially if you don’t know where to start.
Here are a few tips to help you set life goals:
1. Start with the basics – What do you want to achieve in the short-term, medium-term, and long-term?
2. Be specific – The more specific your goals are, the easier it will be to achieve them.
3. Make a plan – Once you know what you want to achieve, it’s time to start planning how you’re going to achieve it.
4. Set a deadline – Having a deadline for your goals will help you stay on track and motivated.
5. Be realistic – It’s important to set goals that are achievable. If your goals are too ambitious, you’ll likely become discouraged.
6. Get started – The sooner you start working towards your goals, the better. Setting goals is a great way to improve your life and achieve your dreams.
By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to setting goals that are realistic, specific, and achievable.
Make a plan to achieve your goals
Making and achieving goals is a process that requires focus, dedication, and effort. It’s important to have a clear plan for how you’re going to achieve your goals, and to make sure that your plan is achievable.
Here are four tips to help you make a plan to achieve your goals:
1. Start with the end in mind. When you’re making a plan to achieve your goals, it’s important to start by thinking about what you want to achieve. What are your long-term goals? What do you want to accomplish in the next year? Once you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, you can start making a plan to get there.
2. Set realistic goals. It’s important to set goals that are realistic and achievable. If your goals are too ambitious, you’re likely to get discouraged and give up. On the other hand, if your goals are too easy, you won’t be challenged and you’ll quickly become bored. Find a happy medium by setting goals that are challenging but achievable.
3. Make a detailed plan. Once you’ve set your goals, it’s time to start making a plan. What steps do you need to take to achieve your goals? What resources do you need? What are the deadlines? The more detailed your plan is, the easier it will be to follow and to achieve your goals.
4. Take action. Making a plan is only the first step; you also need to take action and work towards your goals. Dedicate time and effort to your goals, and don’t give up even when things get tough. Remember, your goals are achievable if you stay focused and dedicated.
Set a deadline for achieving your goals
Setting deadlines is an important part of having a goal, because it can help to keep you motivated and on track. When you set a deadline for yourself, it’s important to be realistic and to give yourself enough time to achieve your goal.
If you’re setting a goal to lose 20 pounds, for example, you wouldn’t want to give yourself a deadline of two weeks. It’s important to set a deadline that is achievable, but that will also challenge you.
One way to set a deadline for your goals is to break them down into smaller goals. For example, if your goal is to lose 20 pounds, you could set a deadline of two pounds per week.
This way, you have a smaller goal to focus on each week, and you can see your progress over time. Another way to set a deadline for your goals is to create a timeline. For example, if you want to lose 20 pounds in three months, you could break down your goal into smaller goals, such as lose five pounds in one month, ten pounds in two months, and so on.
This can help to keep you motivated, because you can see your progress along the way.
When you’re setting deadlines for your goals, it’s also important to consider your other commitments.
If you’re a student, for example, you may have exams or papers due around the same time that you’re trying to achieve your goal. It’s important to plan ahead and to give yourself enough time to achieve your goal without sacrificing your other commitments.
Setting deadlines can help to keep you on track and motivated. When you’re setting deadlines, it’s important to be realistic and to consider your other commitments. By following these tips, you can set deadlines that will help you achieve your goals.
Hold yourself accountable
It’s so easy to come up with goals, especially when the New Year rolls around. We’re all motivated to start fresh and make positive changes in our lives. But it’s not always easy to stick to our goals and see them through to the end. That’s why it’s important to hold yourself accountable. If you want to achieve your goals, you need to be accountable to yourself.
You need to check in with yourself regularly to see how you’re progressing and make sure you’re still on track. This can be done by setting reminders, keeping a journal, or even setting up a system where you have to report back to someone else on your progress.
But accountability isn’t just about checking in with yourself. It’s also about taking responsibility for your actions and choices. If you find yourself slipping up or not following through on what you said you’ll do, don’t be afraid to give yourself a hard time. Be honest with yourself and acknowledge where you went wrong.
This will help you learn from your mistakes and make sure you don’t repeat them in the future. And finally, don’t forget to celebrate your successes! When you reach a milestone, take the time to congratulate yourself. This will help you stay motivated and focused on what you want to achieve.
Achievement!
I don’t know about you, but I am always setting goals for myself. And while I achieve some of them, there are always a few that slip through the cracks.
Here are my BIG goals for the next year and how I plan to achieve them.
1. Save More Money – I’d like to start saving more money so that we can have a cushion in case of an emergency, and to pay off my mortgage (first-time homeowner!). I plan on doing this by creating a budget and sticking to it. I will also be looking for ways to make extra money so that I can put it towards savings.
2. Get in Better Shape – I want to be healthier and in better shape. I plan on doing this by working out at least three times a week and eating healthier. I will also be taking up a new hobby, like swimming.
One of my favourite ways of setting goals is to break them down by quarters.
Here is what I want Quarter One of 2023 to look like:
Writing and Reading
- Read and review 8 books
- Write one discussion post a week
- Watch and review 8 films
- Write 200 – 500 words every single day
- Write 1 poem a week
- Write 1 short story a month
- Create and publish 2 Writing Prompts e-books
Online Business and Blog
- Start an email list
- Grow my RedBubble store. I made 6 sales within a month of opening late last year for a profit of $16. I figure if I put more effort into it, I will be able to earn more money.
- Learn 1 new skill – my project for Q1 is to learn HTML
- Cultivate relationships with authors and publishers
- Offer editing and proofreading services to indie authors
Social Media
- Increase my Instagram and Twitter engagement
- Create Pins for each blog post and add to Pinterest boards
- Grow my followers count on Instagram and Twitter to 1 000
- Leave 20 reviews on NetGalley (I am so behind on NG feedback!)
- Add 250 new connections on Goodreads
I’m confident that I can achieve all of these goals if I set my mind to it. I think it’s important to have goals to strive for and I’m excited to see what the next year has in store for me.
Always remember to enjoy the journey. It’s important to blog for the right reasons and to always be learning and growing.
The best way to achieve success is to focus on creating quality content, being authentic, and continuing to work hard.
Have you set any goals for 2023? How confident are you that you will achieve them?
