3 tips for accomplishing goals, and a giveaway.

sweater.(on sale!) similar jeans. shoes. ring.

planner. phone case. my favorite pens.

Have you ever noticed that people are either team goal or not?  Especially when it comes to New Years Resolutions.  I really like making goals–I believe in goals, because I know that when I am working towards something, I am a much happier person.  And even if I don’t quite get there, I’m always better for trying.

Last year I made some big goals for myself, both personally and for my business, and when I sat down at the end of the year, I realized that I actually accomplished most of what I set out to do.  That has been super motivating and got me really charged up in setting my goals for the New Year.

This year I have a few simple goals for myself.

Business: Last year I made a really lofty growth goal for myself, I wanted to double my earnings from the year before, and I was actually able to do it.  I also had a list of dream brands that I really wanted to work with, and I was able to work with most of them.  Some of them 3 or 4 times.  I’m so grateful for the way my work has been able to bless my family and also that it’s so flexible and I can mostly do it from my home.  This year I would like to continue to grow my revenue, as well as expand into other content areas, and there are several more brands I’d like to work with, as well as continue partnerships with my favorite brands that I’ve already worked with.

Personal: I have two main goals in the personal section this year and they are to get really physically healthy and read at least one book a month.  I am a reader, but it’s easy for me to get super busy and go months without really reading so I want to make sure I’m reading at least one book a month.  Let me know if you want me to share what I’m reading with you…

In terms of physical health, I want to get in really good shape again and take better care of my body: i.e. eat healthier and get enough sleep.  I’m going to talk more about this later on in the week, so stay tuned…

Spiritual: This is another one that easily slips when I get too busy and stressed, so my goal is very simple. Consistent daily prayer and scripture study, continue attending church every Sunday and worship monthly in the temple.

Family: Last night I spent a few hours just playing solitaire frenzy with my kids and then we had ice cream and talked about making good choices and how much potential they each have.  It was one of those moments where you know something special is happening and you’re helping your kids realize just how awesome they are/can be.  My goal for this year is to be much more intentional about the time I spend with my children.  Put work, and distractions away, and really listen to them.  As a family, we already don’t watch TV, which has been one of the best choices Craig and I have made as parents, but I definitely want to do better about being intentional with the time we spend together.  Working together, playing games together, learning together.

So there you have it.  My goals for the year.  I would love it if you shared some of yours with me!

I know when you make goals it can feel really daunting, so I have 3 tips for accomplishing them while avoiding overwhelm.

1- Write it down.  Put it on paper.  First of all, doing so will clear your mind and help you figure out what’s really important to you.  It also keeps me from getting a little to crazy with the goal making, in a way that it’s impossible.  When I write them all out I realize, okay maybe I’ve gotten a little ambitious and I am able to cut out the ones that aren’t as important to me.

2-Break it up. Once you decide what you’re goals are, sit down and break them up.  Figure out step by step what needs to happen to accomplish those goals.  Breaking them up also helps them feel more manageable and makes it easier to get started and take action as you get to work one simple step at a time.

3-Plan it out.  Once you’ve broken the goals up into small steps plan out when you’re going to get those steps done.  I buy a new planner and a small notebook at the beginning of every year.  (My favorites are from this sugar paper line at Target.  They’re not expensive, are really pretty, hold up nicely and are set up well.  I like the monthly/daily calendars and the areas for lists.)  After I’ve broken up my goals, I sit down with my calendar and set small goals and benchmarks for myself.  This keeps me on track and makes working towards my goals just one simple task that needs to be completed each day.  It also helps me figure out really quickly if I’ve been a little too ambitious and I can make adjustments.  My planner is my master list/master plan where everything is written but I also carry a small notebook in my purse every where I go that has my daily to-do list.  I consult my planner every evening and make a list for the next day in my small planner.  Then I just check items off as I go and I am amazed at how much more I’m able to accomplish in a day doing things this way.  And before I know it, I’ve met a goal that seemed super far off when I started.

So there you have it!  My 3 tips for accomplishing goals.

To give you a fun little boost as you tackle your goals this year, I’ve teamed up with a few of my blogger friends to bring you a fun, fun giveaway with some awesome goodies.  To enter, just plug in your info to the rafflecopter widget below!

Prize includes:

$100 Hautelook/Nordstrom Rack Gift Certificate

$150 T&J Designs Gift Certificate

$100 H&M Gift Certificate

Instyler MAX 2 way Rotatating Iron ($99 value)

Aveda Dry Remedy Line ($130 value)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And a big big thank you to our sponsors, Aveda, Instyler, Hautelook, T&J Designs and H&M for the fabulous prizes!