The List

“Hey Man!  We heard…  you like lists.  So we made a list for your list.”  [A quick side bar – we had a discussion on our podcast re: setting goals for the New Year.  Coming off the podcast, our Editor-in-Chief challenged another editor to come up with a way he makes his list and the ways he’ll hit his goals for 2016.]
 
It’s getting a bit old but, officially, Happy New Year Everybody!  Another year and another exciting adventure awaits us.  Before we get too far into 2016, let’s talk about something that’s probably on most people’s minds:  New Year resolutions.  That’s right, you know we can’t start off the year properly without giving ourselves some homework to do.
 
Instead of focusing on the usual, “travel more” and “hit the gym” goals, we want to focus on the more important things in life.  Regardless of whether you are a believer of setting goals or a dreamer of achieving them, we want to arm you with a check-off list to help you make that important decision for the year.  Below you will find a list of important things to keep in mind when making your own New Year’s resolution(s) for 2016.

1) Take Your Time
 
Instead of diving right into creating your goals, we ask you to simply STOP!  Then EXAMINE!  You are about to embark on a year long adventure and you want to be properly prepared for what’s to come.  Don’t just list everything on a piece of paper and call it a day.  Take some time to think about what you want to accomplish this year.  Turn off your phone or go for a drive.  Heck!  Take a short trip if you need to.  Allow yourself ample time to figure out your needs (immediate and long-term) before transferring it onto your notebook.
 
2) Keep It Short
 
So you just finished soul-searching and feel refreshed.  Better yet, you feel like you can take on the world.  So what do you do next?  Start listing out your goals of course!  Before you know it, you have anywhere between a dozen to two dozen goals written down on your notebook.  STOP!  The whole purpose of having you take your time is to have you dig a little deeper into what you want to accomplish.  Writing down a dozen goals not only defeats the purpose, but also distracts you from them.  Instead, keep your list of goals short; a single digit preferably.
 
3) Diving Deeper
 
Having a consolidated list is just the beginning.  To help make the goals more visible to you, we must focus on the details.  When writing down your goals, be sure to be as specific as possible.  The idea here is to elaborate on the goals you have by including both the quantitative and the qualitative measurements.  (See example below)
 
Read at least 1 book every month in the following categories:
·      Business books
·      Self-help books
·      Investment books
·      Coding books
·      Funny books
·      Grooming books / blogs (also okay ;)
 
Noticed how I used sub-bullet points?  The key is to be as detailed as possible so you know exactly what you need to accomplish and when you need to accomplish it by.

4) Short-term & Long -term

When making the list of goals, it’s always best to include both short-term and long-term goals.  As mentioned before, your list is essentially a roadmap for your one-year expedition.  As in the case with most journeys, there will be many hardships along the way.  Instead of having your roadmap only focus on the final destination, it’s also wise to highlight various other checkpoints along the way.  As you strive to achieve your big goals, the ones that take months to accomplish, be sure also set smaller goals.  The smaller goals are the ones you can measure in a matter of days or weeks.  This is a great way to help you maintain your momentum as you continue to push forward.

5) Accountability is Key

If we can be so kind to burst your bubble, having created a list for yourself is only 10% of your overall accomplishments.  The rest, 90%, relies on you actually following through.  To make sure you put in the necessary work in achieving your goals, we recommend you doing these three things:

1.     Review your goals daily – Print it out.  Email it to yourself.  Have a copy in your car, at work or next to your bed.  The idea is simple:  Make sure you live and breathe your goals, daily.
 
2.     Tell it to others – Tell anybody who is willing (or unwilling) to hear you of your goals.  The more you talk about and tell others, the more you’ll be held accountable for it.
 
3.     Have others help – Give a copy of your goals to a close friend or family member.  Have them check in with you on a daily, weekly or monthly basis to make sure you are on track with your goals.

Now that we’ve shared our list of how to make proper New Year goals, be sure to give it a try.  MP is also interested in hearing your goals and/or goal making tips.  Go ahead and email us at [email protected].
BTW, for those who aren’t aware, MP has recently started doing podcasts.  Be sure to tune-in every week to hear about our shenanigans!

by ManPossible