2020 Goal Planning Starts Now

As we are in the beginning of the final three months of the year (yes we really are!) I like to take the time to review my goals for 2019 and begin to plan for 2020.  Not all of my goals for this year have been met and some won't be, but I won't despair about that.  This is the time to reevaluate and tweak things to see if that goal is still relevant and if so, how I can get it accomplished by year end or if it should become a 2020 goal.

Goals need to be reasonable in order to be accomplished.  Life happens and that has to be factored in.  You can't plan for everything so you need to be flexible.  That holds true when it comes to my goals as well.  I have to be flexible in order to be more successful.  And sometimes I have to realize that some of the goals I set and the timelines may not be reasonable or in fact, no longer relevant.

Every year I draft a list of goals I would like to achieve.  I have a list of short term goals, 2 year goals, 5 year goals and a Wish List of goals that would be nice, but not the most important.  Then I prioritize and rationalize these goals.  Are they realistic?  Attainable?  How will they benefit me?  Are they important?  Will it matter and why?  All really good questions to ask yourself when you set goals.

I then do a final copy of my goals and I print it out on a sheet of paper to carry with me in my day planner.  I review it daily and as goals are accomplished I check them off the list.  Each year I review that list and rethink it as I prepare my goals for the coming year.

By starting now I have plenty of time to prioritize the goals I still want to achieve this year.  I also have plenty of time to plan ahead for next year.  I find by starting now I don't feel the pressure to "come up with something" by year end.  My goals are thought out and planned, well in advance.  When the end of the year arrives there is no pressure to get planning and when the new year begins I've already got a plan in place.  It is never too soon to get started.