Write down your big goal – e.g. I want to be fit enough to run 10km. Break this down into smaller self contained goals such as;<ul><li>Nutrition</li><li>Equipment</li><li>Building stamina</li></ul>Break each of those goals into simple daily tasks to complete. For building stamina these could be;<ul><li>Week 1: walk 1km everyday </li><li>Week 2: jog/walk 1km everyday </li><li>Week 3: jog/walk 2km 5 times a week </li><li>Week 4: jog (no walking) 2km 5 times a week, and so on </li></ul>That big goal is now just a series of simple tasks.I call this 'Stepping Stones'. Try it on any goal.

Make Big Goals Easy To Achieve

<img width="1024" height="1024" alt="" src="https://i1.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/goals.png?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1" srcset="https://i1.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/goals.png?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w, https://i1.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/goals.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i1.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/goals.png?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i1.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/goals.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i1.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/goals.png?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i1.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/goals.png?resize=600%2C600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i1.wp.com/spurplanners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/goals.png?resize=100%2C100&amp;ssl=1 100w">It’s the time of year when we all start to think about how we have spent the last year. How has it has turned out? How do we want next year to be better? Coming out of 2020 this is taking on even more importance. While the pandemic may not be over the signs are positive with a vaccine so we should plan for next year with renewed optimism. It’s time to start the New Year goal setting.For many of us we will naturally start to think about wealth, health and happiness when it comes to what we want from next year. The challenge is that these are huge areas with so much opportunity that it can feel overwhelming.&nbsp;<div>"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great."</div><div>Zig Zigler</div><h2>Where do you start?</h2>The free tools here at Spur Planners will help you walk through understanding and planning your New Year goal setting, but before you run off to use them allow us to walk you through with some tips for goal setting, time planning and goal realisation.<h3>You can’t do everything: </h3>This really is important to remember. We all want to be super fit, highly educated, up on current affairs, great partners, fantastic parents, leading lights at work, developing our own business and planning the most adventurous trips. The reality is though you can’t just suddenly start being all these things. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. Instead, focus on that one goal that will really change your life. Committing to one life changing goal in your New Year goal setting increases your success rate over spreading your time and energy over many.<h3>Plan your time around this goal: </h3>Once you have your clear goal you must make time to achieve it. It won’t achieve itself. Review how you spend your time each day now. Be ruthless and honest. Capture as much as possible for at least a week and then review it. What are you spending time on that adds no value or can be reduced? Where do you already naturally have free time? Swap that unproductive time for time on your goals. Now re-plan what your ideal productive day will look like. For extra emphasis, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeblocking" dir="ltr">time block</a> these periods so you aren’t tempted to use them for anything else.If this sounds daunting we have already designed some free templates for you on our<a href="https://spurplanners.com/free-time-management-resources/" dir="ltr"> time management</a> page. Just click the link.Goals are not achieved by luck. They aren’t even achieved by just hard work. You need a combination of commitment, consistency, hard work and planning.Once you have a plan you then need to track your progress. Know what you have already achieved and what you still need to achieve.Great, so now you know your core goal and you have created time to start chasing it down, but how do you chase down even one goal that will improve your life? How do you make your New Year goal setting a reality?Going from a standing start to realising your goal can feel daunting. After all, if you already knew how to achieve your goal you would have done that right!This is the simple but very clever bit. Break that goal down into smaller goals that you build on top of each other to reach your big core goal. We call this the Stepping Stone method. You deliver small goals consistently, focusing on one step at a time. Don’t be too concerned with the big goal. Just keep delivering the small stones.We know this sounds simple. Too simple. That is why it works though. It is so simple it can be applied to goals of all sizes across all area’s and still be effective.Here is an example of Stepping Stone goals in action:<h3>Step 1: </h3>Write down your big goal – e.g. I want to be fit enough to run 10km.&nbsp;<h3>Step 2: </h3>For some this will feel simple, for others this may feel like an impossible dream. If you don’t currently run at all that can feel daunting. Where do you start? You start by breaking that goal down into a smaller number of Stepping Stone goals. These could look like;<UL><LI>Nutrition</LI><LI>Equipment</LI><LI>Building stamina</LI></UL><h3>Step 3: </h3>Under each Stepping Stone goal set out the specific tasks that need to be completed – e.g. under Building stamina you may have;<UL><LI>Week 1: walk 1km everyday</LI><LI>Week 2: jog/walk 1km everyday</LI><LI>Week 3: jog/walk 2km 5 times a week</LI><LI>Week 4: jog (no walking) 2km 5 times a week, and so on</LI></UL>Walking 1km a day feels much more achievable than suddenly starting to run 10km on January 1st. Be sure to set clear time frames as well, but make them achievable!Now plan these Stepping Stone goals into your time boxed times across your week. Aim to plan in days but doing a full weeks worth at a time. This way you have a view of what you will achieve each week and a more detailed view of what you will be achieving the next day.Then just repeat, repeat, repeat.Starting a new year full of optimism is the best catalyst but you need to harness that optimism. You need to combine action with your New Year goal setting. By identifying your core goal, planning in regular time to achieve it and understanding the specific Stepping Stones to get you there will create the path to the future you want.Life is good.

New Year goal setting tips and structure. Learn simple steps to set and deliver your goals at New Year or throughout the year.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

It’s the time of year when we all start to think about how we have spent the last year. How has it has turned out? How do we want next year to be better? Coming out of 2020 this is taking on even more importance. While the pandemic may not be over the signs are positive with a vaccine so we should plan for next year with renewed optimism. It’s time to start the New Year goal setting.

For many of us we will naturally start to think about wealth, health and happiness when it comes to what we want from next year. The challenge is that these are huge areas with so much opportunity that it can feel overwhelming.

The free tools here at Spur Planners will help you walk through understanding and planning your New Year goal setting, but before you run off to use them allow us to walk you through with some tips for goal setting, time planning and goal realisation.

This really is important to remember. We all want to be super fit, highly educated, up on current affairs, great partners, fantastic parents, leading lights at work, developing our own business and planning the most adventurous trips. The reality is though you can’t just suddenly start being all these things. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. Instead, focus on that one goal that will really change your life. Committing to one life changing goal in your New Year goal setting increases your success rate over spreading your time and energy over many.

Once you have your clear goal you must make time to achieve it. It won’t achieve itself. Review how you spend your time each day now. Be ruthless and honest. Capture as much as possible for at least a week and then review it. What are you spending time on that adds no value or can be reduced? Where do you already naturally have free time? Swap that unproductive time for time on your goals. Now re-plan what your ideal productive day will look like. For extra emphasis, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeblocking">time block </a>these periods so you aren’t tempted to use them for anything else.

If this sounds daunting we have already designed some free templates for you on our <a href="https://spurplanners.com/free-time-management-resources/">time management </a>page. Just click the link.

Goals are not achieved by luck. They aren’t even achieved by just hard work. You need a combination of commitment, consistency, hard work and planning.

Once you have a plan you then need to track your progress. Know what you have already achieved and what you still need to achieve.

Great, so now you know your core goal and you have created time to start chasing it down, but how do you chase down even one goal that will improve your life? How do you make your New Year goal setting a reality?

Going from a standing start to realising your goal can feel daunting. After all, if you already knew how to achieve your goal you would have done that right!

This is the simple but very clever bit. Break that goal down into smaller goals that you build on top of each other to reach your big core goal. We call this the Stepping Stone method. You deliver small goals consistently, focusing on one step at a time. Don’t be too concerned with the big goal. Just keep delivering the small stones.

We know this sounds simple. Too simple. That is why it works though. It is so simple it can be applied to goals of all sizes across all area’s and still be effective.

Here is an example of Stepping Stone goals in action:

Write down your big goal – e.g. I want to be fit enough to run 10km.

For some this will feel simple, for others this may feel like an impossible dream. If you don’t currently run at all that can feel daunting. Where do you start? You start by breaking that goal down into a smaller number of Stepping Stone goals. These could look like;

<ul><li>Nutrition </li><li>Equipment </li><li>Building stamina </li> </ul>

Under each Stepping Stone goal set out the specific tasks that need to be completed – e.g. under Building stamina you may have;

<ul><li>Week 1: walk 1km everyday </li><li>Week 2: jog/walk 1km everyday </li><li>Week 3: jog/walk 2km 5 times a week </li><li>Week 4: jog (no walking) 2km 5 times a week, and so on </li> </ul>

Walking 1km a day feels much more achievable than suddenly starting to run 10km on January 1st. Be sure to set clear time frames as well, but make them achievable!

Now plan these Stepping Stone goals into your time boxed times across your week. Aim to plan in days but doing a full weeks worth at a time. This way you have a view of what you will achieve each week and a more detailed view of what you will be achieving the next day.

Then just repeat, repeat, repeat.

Starting a new year full of optimism is the best catalyst but you need to harness that optimism. You need to combine action with your New Year goal setting. By identifying your core goal, planning in regular time to achieve it and understanding the specific Stepping Stones to get you there will create the path to the future you want.

New Year Goal Setting - Spur Planners

Make Big Goals Easy To Achieve

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