2023. New Year, New Me? I’m Not So Sure.

I see the “new year, new me” saying all the time. I don’t think it’s necessary to completely reinvent ourselves. I also think that if we WANT to reinvent ourselves, we don’t need the New Year to do it. Instead, I’d argue this is a time to evolve, one small step at a time.

Resolutions or Goals?

Some people choose to make resolutions around the New Year. My unpopular opinion is: I hate resolutions. I think it’s silly to make a resolution when so much can change in a year. Instead, I prefer to set shorter term goals and reassess often to determine what changes I need to make.

Do I still have long term goals? Of course! I think long term goals are important for both professional and business growth. I also have shorter term goals - quarterly, monthly, and sometimes even weekly. Breaking my goals down into these smaller goals and then action steps make them easier to achieve.

Setting the Intention

Before I develop my action plan or strategy for my goals, I like to set the intention. Some people set the intention for the entire year by choosing a word. Recently a colleague shared with me that she would be choosing a quarterly word instead of a yearly word. I thought this was brilliant because like I said, so much can change in a year. I decided to implement this myself and settled on intentional for my Q1 word. I think it sets the tone perfectly for where I’m at in my business and personal life, plus what my goals are.

Whether you choose to implement a yearly, quarterly, or even monthly word, the most important thing is that you are setting an intention. Having a clear understanding of the why behind your goals will only help you to achieve them. So before you sit down to create a strategy for achieving your goals, I want you to reflect on your why and write it down! You need to write it down so you can refer back to it whenever you are having a difficult season in your business.

Creating a Roadmap

Without a road map, goals are just daydreams, which is exactly why strategy is so important. It gives you direction. Imagine you’re driving around in a car searching for your destination. What will get you there faster, a road map (or GPS) or driving around aimlessly until you find it? Your goals are the destination and you are in the driver’s seat.

There are many different strategies you can use to create your goal setting plan. I like the SMART goal setting strategy, but that’s not for everyone. Find the one that works best for you.

A quality goal setting strategy should have the following:

• Define specific goals

• Develop metrics so that you know when you’ve achieved your goal

• Create a time frame

• Provide time for reflection and adjustments

No matter what your 2023 goals are, be sure to have a road map and intentions so that you can be successful with them. Once again, I argue that the “new year, new me” mantra is outdated. We don’t need to reinvent ourselves. We can evolve one small step at a time. I’m a firm believer that small, consistent steps are what bring us success. Why not implement this same mantra for ourselves? If we want to make lasting changes, we must do it one day at a time.