One of my goals for 2019 is to use a daily planner and get very focused on setting goals and establishing daily habits. I am using Michael Hyatt’s Full Focus Planner, and I purchased his book Your Best Year Ever, which has his 5-step plan for achieving your most important goals. I am sharing these five steps that I am using as a framework for setting goals for 2019.

1. Believe the possibility

Recognize the power of your beliefs. Confront your limiting beliefs and upgrade them to shift from a scarcity mindset (entitled and assume you are the way you are) to an abundance mindset (thankful and assume you can learn, grow, and develop). 

2. Complete the past

Conduct an After-Action Review about the past year. State what you wanted to happen, what actually happened, what you learned from the experience, and how you will adjust your behavior. Look for regrets as opportunities for growth. Implement a daily gratitude practice.

3. Design your future

Set goals based on the SMARTER framework:

Specific

Measurable

Actionable

Risky

Time-keyed

Exciting

Relevant

Identify 7-10 goals to achieve in a year and 2-3 to achieve per quarter. Have a mix of achievement goals (one-time accomplishments) and habit goals that are related to ongoing activity. Set stretch goals that take you out of your comfort zone. Start goals with an action verb. For example, instead of “be more consistent in blogging” use “write two blog posts a week.” Write your goals down. Studies show the mere act of writing one’s goals boosted achievement by 42%.

4. Find your why

Identify your key motivations. These are the reasons why you want to reach your goal in the first place. Prioritize the best reasons and put them at the top of your list. Connect to these motivations on an intellectual and emotional level. Master your motivation by identifying a reward, recognizing how long it takes to install new habits, gamifying the process, and measuring the gains instead of the gap. Recognize the value of incremental wins. Use intentional relationships to find people to help you grow and reach your goals. Don’t try to do it alone.

5. Make it happen

Break down big goals into manageable next steps. Start with the easiest tasks, which should be in your comfort zone. Use activation triggers, which create easy if-then patterns that reinforce behaviors. For example, setting up an automatic deposit to a savings account or wearing special glasses at night to trigger your bedtime ritual. Also, anticipate obstacles and determine your response so that when the obstacles pop up you have contingencies to handle them. Schedule regular goal reviews on a daily, weekly, and quarterly basis. 

In previous years I started a new year looking forward to the possibilities, but I didn’t have a plan to make it happen. Now I do. For those of you working on your own plans to make 2019 the best year ever, I’m with you. Let’s do this.