For most of us, goals are done for this year. They may have been smashed or maybe reset for next year, but which ever way the cookie crumbled for you in 2016 now is a great time to be thinking what you would like to shoot for next year and beyond to set yourself up for success.

What would you really like to achieve?  In a month, a year, a lifetime? Think about it.

Getting to where we want to be in life takes planning and dedication, self discipline and development. Creating the right goals for yourself in the short term can set you up for a satisfying life in the long term and you can have some awesome fun on the journey along the way.

So what is it for you? A sporting goal, weight loss, lifestyle changes? Is it to earn more money? To have a family? To buy that dream home? Whatever it is let’s start to think about it RIGHT NOW.

Make some time for yourself away from distractions of everyday life. TV, computers, phones, get away from the screens and grab yourself a pen and paper and switch your brain into “YOU” mode.

Lets’s start looking at the long term. Knowing where we want to be in say 10 years time is very exciting but can also be quite daunting to. Don’t panic if you are not sure what you want immediately. Start with what is important to you and build from there.

DO : Write down 3 health, 3 career and 3 life goals that you will achieve within 10 years. That’s 9 different things in total.

BE BOLD, DREAM BIG. Put some stuff in there that seems out of reach but that really excites you. You don’t want to be just writing things down that you know will just happen as a matter of course. These goals need to be things that are going to make your life fuller, richer and just totally more awesome. Try not to be restricted by money. If money was no object what would you be shooting for?

Next think about mid term goals, say 5 years from now. These should be stepping stones to the big stuff. What is going to help you get to where you want to be in 10 years time?  we want to make this journey fun and develop ourselves along the way.

DO: Write them down, again, 3 health, 3 career and 3 life goals that you want under your belt in the next 5 years.

To run a marathon, learn a language, meet a partner, what is missing from your life? What would make you proud of yourself?

Last but not least think about what you want in your life within the next year. It could be a really short term thing, something you could change in your world by next month that would have a positive impact on your life, and get you on the right course to the bigger stuff. They could also be something big, something you will achieve by this time next year, it could have the wow factor

“I sleep 8 hours every night” This was one of my short term goals I set myself last year. It seems quite a simple thing but  not getting enough sleep through just going to bed to late was having a huge effect on how productive I could be in my everyday life. So I set up this goal in my short term plan. It’s one that I’m always having to pull back into my mind because I can be good at it for a while and then I let it lapse every now and again.

DO: Same format you know the gig now!  3 health, 3 career and 3 life goals you will achieve with in the next year.

For all the time scales I have talked about there are some golden “RULES” to follow

• Write in the present tense. I have learn’t to speak french. I have cycled from Lands End to John O’Groats. I have travelled to 3 different continents.
• Set a “by when” Every goal needs a date that you will achieve it by. Month and year is fine. I have started French lessons by January 2017.
• Believe in yourself. You are capable of many great things, some of which you may not have even experienced yet. So get outside of your comfort zone and try something new, who knows what hidden talents you may be harbouring  🙂
• Remember everything you write is a draft, you can change it at any time. As one goal is achieved it may open up new doors or ideas into what else you want in your life.

Share your goals. We are a generation of sharers, through social media or just by chatting to family and friends you can put your plans out there and really make them real. They can hold you accountable to what you are looking to achieve and also potentially create a support system for yourself. Someone close to you may have a similar goal and you can help each other achieve it.

“A goal is just a wish without a plan” 

Make your plan now to set your 2017 and beyond to be EPIC!!