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A lot of things in life are inevitable. The arrival of a new year every 365 days is one of those things. And just like that, here we are, welcoming the year 2024 and looking forward to a new beginning! Like many other people, you might be ringing in the new year with the intention of setting goals for 2024.
But sometimes, it can be hard to figure out where to start. After all, where do you begin?
Is it better to set one goal and focus solely on that goal until you accomplish it? Or should you set multiple goals and find a balance between achieving them all? And if so, how many goals are too many?
These are only a few of the many questions that might come to mind when setting goals for 2024. However, before we dive into a digestible three-step breakdown on how to set goals for 2024, let’s talk about the importance of setting goals in the first place!
The Importance of Setting Goals For 2024
Identifying what you want to achieve and setting goals that you intend to pursue is important. These behaviors give us a sense of purpose, motivate us to get out of bed every day, and drive us to perform at our best as often as possible.
Now, if you’ve read Atomic Habits by James Clear, then you might be thinking, “Wait a minute! Establishing systems is far more powerful than focusing only on our goals.” And to that, I’d applaud you for your wisdom and say, “Yes! That is correct.”
At the same time, without goals, you cannot set up systems that help you achieve what you’re setting out to obtain. Systems make goals come to life, but without goals, what point do systems serve?
The goal — pun intended — is to determine what you want to achieve, and from there, you’ll implement systems as a way of cognitively getting yourself into the headspace of accomplishing your goals.
But first things first, define your goals.
What do you want to do? Who do you wish to become? How do you want to exert yourself in the present so that you’re setting your future self up for success? These are excellent questions that can drive your thought processes, but how do you actually go about setting goals for 2024?
I’m glad you asked! Here’s my three-step how-to guide for setting goals in 2024 ◡̈
How To: Setting Goals For 2024
When it comes to setting goals for 2024, I’m of the opinion that it all starts with visualizing what your ideal life looks like. Try to be as specific as possible. For instance, what city or town do you want to live in? How many hours of sleep would you get during your idea of the perfect night of sleep?
Do you want to work from home? Remotely? In-office? Abroad? Where do you see yourself when you think about being as content as possible?
Tap into your dreams. Goals can help you turn them into reality, so be honest with yourself and explore what your deepest desires are. Be sure to write it all down. In fact, if you’re having difficulty getting to know yourself and figuring out what your most idyllic life would look like, try journaling. Put everything onto paper without limiting or censoring yourself.
Three-Step Guide To Setting Goals For 2024
Once you’ve visualized what you want in life, setting your goals for 2024 comes easily. But for those of you in need of assistance when it comes to taking your visualizations and turning them into goals, here’s my short and sweet three-step guide to setting goals this year!
Step 1:
Ask yourself what you do on a daily basis that contradicts the life you want to live. For instance, if you are someone who envisions themselves waking up at four in the morning every single day, yet you are currently a person who crawls into bed with their phone and scrolls for hours past your bedtime, jot this down.
Analyze your behaviors. Think about what you habitually do and ask yourself if these behaviors are in alignment with the person you want to become. Just as you were truthful with yourself while visualizing, be honest with yourself as you reflect on what you do often and how those actions contradict what you would do as someone who’s committed to their goals. This will help you be more aware of the behavior you’d like to leave behind in exchange for the habits you want to learn how to embody.
Step 2:
Now, work backwards. You have an idea of who you currently are and how that compares to who you wish to become, but how do you extrapolate goals from your reflections? Well, the best way to do this is to think about the characteristics that you want to embody and consider what a person who has those qualities does in life.
For example, let’s say you find yourself being short-tempered or often annoyed throughout the day, but you want to be someone who is calm, relaxed, and composed. So, what contributes to your lack of patience? Is it your home life? Do you surround yourself with people like that? Maybe you hate your job.
We’ll go with that, shall we? Let’s say that you currently work in an office but you want to become somebody who works from home because your daily commute gets under your skin, resulting in a mindset that is constantly uptight and frustrated.
Having this revelation is an excellent start, but how do resolve the issue? In this context, your goal would be to find a way to go from working in an office to working from home.
Step 3:
Bridging the gap between where you are and where you’d like to be requires a lot of creativity, effort, and faith, but it’s worth the effort, so pour all of your energy into the experience. With the example from above, this step would entail you thinking about jobs that you can work remotely.
A lot of remote jobs incorporate a decent amount of independence because employers need to be able to trust you to get your work done without in-person supervision. From writing and editing to applying for tech jobs and submitting applications to customer service roles, the options are truly endless. You can even start a business of your own if your current life circumstances allow for it.
I suggest centering your goals around the changes you’d like to make in your life. As we talked about, start by visualizing your dream life or the qualities you desire embodying. Then, compare where you are in life and who you currently are with where you’d like to be and who you wish to become. From there, determine what you would have to do in order to get from where you currently are to who you’d like to be. Keeping a vision of who you want to become is key. And whenever chasing your dreams and turning your goals into accomplishments gets hard, just think about future you. Remember who you’re doing it for, and never give up!
So, What Are Your Goals For 2024?
Are you someone who makes a list of all your goals at the start of every year? If so, what’s on your ultimate list of goals for this year?
I know some people prefer to work in silence, and I respect that immensely. In a myriad of ways, I do the same…so I get it! At the same time, others prefer to disclose their goals in a public fashion so that people can help them stay accountable.
If that sounds like you, I get it, too! It can be a lot of fun to share your goals with other people, so feel free to let me know what you’re going after in 2024! I can’t wait to hear all about the dreams you plan to turn into reality this year ◡̈