About your goals: How to start planning for 2022
With the summer being over and fall slowly starting for most of us, it is a great time to be introspective and plan for the months ahead. Over the past years, I started a practice of planning my next year in the final quarter of the previous year. When I began my planning early, I realized that I had enough time to reflect, wrap up my current year, and get excited for the next.
In this blog post, we will explore five questions that will help us kick-off planning for a great 2022. Check out my other Her plan posts for more tips on setting and achieving your goals.
#1: What have you dreamed of doing?
If the last years have taught us anything, we all don't know what the future holds. It is time to stop sitting on your dreams and start living them out. Recently, I read an article that reminded me to go back and think about all the wonderful things that I wanted to accomplish in my life.
Strategies to consider
Allow yourself to dream
Read, listen, or watch things that excite you
#2: What are you afraid of doing?
We all have things that we are afraid of doing but know that we need to do it to get where we want to go. Starting to think about what you have been afraid of doing, will make them less scary. Ask yourself what makes it scary and think about how you would celebrate finally doing it.
Strategies to consider
Write down what you are afraid of
Plan the steps you will take to accomplish it
#3: What are you planning to learn?
Learning new skills and gathering knowledge is crucial to living a fulfilled life. Reflect on your personal development goals as you start thinking about what you want to accomplish next year Working on your learning goals will help you continue to grow in your life.
Strategies to consider
Write down one new skill that you want to acquire in 2022
Do research on what it would take to learn the new skill
#4: What do you want to stop doing?
There are things that we are doing that don't serve us any longer. This might be a great time to commit to stop doing them. We focus on things that we want to start and often forget that we need to stop others to create space. You might be doing too many things that are distracting you from what you really should be doing.
Strategies to consider
Write down the things that you do today that are not bringing you joy
Decide what you are going to give up
#5: How are you going to enjoy your life?
When we look back on our years, we want to feel satisfied with the life that we have lived. To enjoy your life, you have to be intentional about it. Waiting for great things to fall into your lap is not a sustainable strategy. If you want an amazing life, you need to go out and do things that bring you joy.
Strategies to consider
Reflect on what it means to enjoy your life
Plan to do more of the things you enjoy
Final Thoughts
When you set your goals early, you give yourself the opportunity to set up your goals more intentionally and be thoughtful. From my experience, I know that your year will be much better than you expected.
Time to Reflect
How have you planned your previous years?
How are you celebrating how far you have come?
What are you excited about for 2022?