Successful Planning & Goal Setting for 2024
Don't leave it to the coincidence. Inspire yourself with 10 planning steps.
It is time to plan.
Without any plan, you will be going through your days without much direction, motivation, and purpose. Sad, no?
Even if your plan will change during the year, it is much better to have at least something in mind than nothing. What are you aiming for this year?
Start a side hustle? Build up your business properly? Get a new job? Or promotion?
What do you want?
Contents:
Personal Planning
Getting out of your comfort zone
Make a Plan
Know your ‘why’ aka purpose
Set goals
Fix Your Time Management
Review your time
Prioritize
Build habits and systems
Be Productive
Say goodbye to distractions
Interact with your team and community
Activate your listening
Stay Motivated
10. Understand and support your journey
Wrap up
Personal Planning
What do you want to do with your life? How will you do it?
Personal planning is all about reflection and consideration. How happy are you with your life now? With your job? Relationships? Time? What life do you want for yourself and your family?
Write down 2-5 things you care the most about in your life. E.g., health, time, relationships, your business, etc.
Write down 2-5 things that would be amazing to achieve this year. E.g., promotion, business expansion, long holidays, etc.
Write down 2-5 that you have to achieve, no matter what. E.g., keep on paying your mortgage, stay in your employment, get better eating habits to improve your health, etc.
Now look at your items and create your personal mission statement. Spend quality time writing it down. Rewrite it a few times to the point when you look at it, you will be happy about it.
A personal statement is yours to define. Here are some that others did:
“In 2024, I want to continue building my freelance business, focusing on nourishing my clients’ relationships and adding new services. I offer quality, understanding, and care as core values to my business. It would be amazing to add social media management to my portfolio, as I am a fan of automation. I want to have more time with my family, so I aim to cut my over hours by 20%.”
“In 2024, I want to quit my toxic job and take some time off. It would be amazing to travel the world in 80 days and enjoy time completely free of social media. Then, I will find a new job in the same field because I like what I do. I try to negotiate good conditions such as a higher salary and flexibility to work my hours. These two are key to achieve.”
“In 2024, I will cut down on smoking and alcohol. It was enough. My health is what matters this year the most. It would be amazing to go fully sober and cigarette-free by the end of this year. It will be a challenge. Yet, I would feel successful if I found control over my bad habits and feel healthier.”
1. Getting out of your comfort zone
It is comfortable to be in your comfort zone. Swim through your days without much thinking and do what you are used to doing. Yet, you can make your 2024 different.
Look outside of your comfort zone. What do you? You might be afraid of taking the next step in your career or relationships. You find excuses for not doing what you promised.
How do you grow, then? Experiencing new things, dealing with problems, or learning skills. Set yourself goals and find the courage to be a beginner, to fail, and to accept it will take effort.
Although it may appear contradictory, the faster you fail, modify, and try again, the faster you will succeed.
Make a Plan
2. Know your ‘why’ aka purpose
Why do you do what you do?
Think about what you wrote in your personal statement. Why do you care about these things more than about the others?
You can browse the Maslow’s pyramid of needs to find out why you do what you do:
Or you can pick Tony Robbins’ brain and try to understand yourself with his six principles of understanding yourself.
a. Certainty
We all need certainty and comfort to function well in our daily lives. When you are afraid of your health, relationships, and work, you feel threatened, and stressed, and it is difficult to think logically and clearly.
Certainty can be your routine, your excuses as to why something is not possible, or faith.
b. Variety
Like you want certainty, you also seek uncertainty. When you get bored, you look for what excites you. Adventures make you feel alive.
Traveling, drugs, learning, etc. What is your way? It can help you or hurt you.
c. Significance
You need a feeling that your life matters. That it is special and important.
How do you meet your need for significance? Do you work harder than others? Do you know more about certain topics? Do you dress uniquely? Do you wish for a luxurious life? More diplomas? More lovers?
d. Love & connection
Love and connection through friendship or community are drivers.
Relationships can bring you (un)happiness. What do you settle for? People tend to settle, on 0-10. Where are you? Happy or unhappy with your connections?
e. Growth and contribution
Contribution is what gives your life meaning. What do you give back to others?
➾ Listen to The Tony Robbins Podcast: Why We Do What We Do | Tony explains the 6 Human Needs
Write down your ‘why’ and keep it where you can see it every day. Post it by your desk, on your screen, and set it as your wallpaper on your computer or phone. Make it visible!
3. Set Goals
You have your personal statement and understand why you want to do it. Now, you need a plan to accomplish your mission.
The plan is your roadmap with milestones on the way. These are your goals. Without check-in points, you might feel you have nothing to celebrate and that would be a shame!
Goals:
Help keep connected with the reason you chose to pursue your mission.
Provide a clear path to the desired result, allowing you to know your next step and whether you've succeeded.
Increase your self-esteem by sticking to the plan and framework. Return even if you feel dissatisfied or fatigued. Knowing why you are working so hard and how you intend to achieve your goals might help you get through times when you want to give up.
How to set goals:
Set a completion date
Set your deadlines
Think SMART
Example goals:
“I will get two job interviews by the end of March.”
“I won’t do more than 5 hours/week of overtime by June.”
“I’ll start a social media course in February and aim to finish it by April. Then, in May, I optimize and create my social media accounts and write down a strategy for the rest of the year.”
Fix Your Time Management
A big part of your planning skills is your time management. What do you do that takes most of your time? Where can you find time gaps to do what you want and wish to achieve your goals?
4. Review your time
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to leadink to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.