New Year, New Goals: Set Yourself Up For Success in 2024
New Year, New Goals: Set Yourself Up For Success in 2024
January 2024 | EBC Printing & Signs
Start 2024 strong! Learn how you can set SMART goals for your personal life or your business, and track your progress throughout the New Year.
Setting goals is a great way to begin the New Year! With a New Year comes a new renewed sense of life, which makes it the perfect time to set new goals for yourself and for your team.
Why should I set goals?
Goals help to motivate you and keep you on track throughout the year. They can help you be more productive. With each goal hit, the feeling of success and accomplishment will drive you even further.
How to set a goal?
You may remember this from grade school but every goal should be SMART. SMART is an acronym for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
Here are some examples on how to make SMART goals:
- Specific - If you are planning to lose weight this year, don’t just say “my goal is to lose weight.” You want to be specific in what you are trying to accomplish. “My goal is to lose 15 pounds” would be correct.
- Measurable - The goal must be measurable or you will not know if you attained it! In the case above, weighing oneself allows the weight to be measured.
- Achievable - Goals should be achievable. Don’t set goals that are unrealistic. For example, you would not want to say you will lose 20 pounds in a month as that is simply not realistic. Losing 20 pounds in 6 months, however, is.
- Relevant - Don’t just set a goal for something to do. Make sure it is relevant to your life and time.
- Time-Bound - Goals need to have a deadline. Saying the goal is to lose weight does not give any urgency or motivation to hit the goal, as it is too open ended. Having a goal to lose 20 pounds in 6 months allows you the time to track the goal. You may also add mini goals on the way to the target goal, perhaps losing 1 pound per week.
What are some ideas for goals?
We used losing weight as an example because it's a common goal in January. But there are many other great goals to help you succeed this year!
Below are a few examples to explore:
Personal Goals:
● Less Screen Time - We are inundated with technology. At work, we are on the computer all day and in our spare time, we are in front of our phones and tv. Why not use this year to explore a little more time off-screen? Pick up a new hobby, play board games with the family, take a walk outside. There are so many other things to do!
● Reading - Reading helps you learn and enjoy without the use of screens, expanding your knowledge in various areas.
● Volunteering - Helping others is a wonderful goal to set for yourself. Not only will you be helping to change someone else’s life, you will change yours too! You will enjoy the feeling you get when you help another person.
● Better Work-Life Balance - Many of us work too many hours or take our work home with us. This year, make more time for yourself and your family.
● Better (or more) Sleep - Getting good sleep is essential for your health! Getting adequate rest helps to improve your performance and mood. Without enough rest, you set yourself up for an increased risk for diseases and health disorders.
Business Goals:
● Increase Sales - Check your sales and revenue from last year and set a measurable increase for 2024.
● Keep Your Desk Organized - You may like to make a commitment to keep your work area more clean and organized. This will help you stay organized. When your area is less cluttered, your mind will be, too!
● Learn A New Skill - Perhaps you work for a small business and are not too familiar with social media. Learning about this area is essential for business in this era, so it would be a worthwhile goal for the year! There are many online courses you can take (often for free), and many community colleges offer classes relating to useful skills like social media, graphic design, leadership, and more.
As we enter the New Year, now's the time to customize your goals for you and your team! Once you decide on your goals, be sure to check in and reward yourself when you meet them!
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