10 Ways to Stay Committed To Your 2024 Goals - The Start of Quarter 2:

Goodbye March:

Today at the stroke of midnight, March ends and we start up anew, into quarter two. If you’re anything like myself, there quarter shifts do wonders for me when it comes to strategizing my year. I try to reflect on the goals I’ve set at least four times a year. When is better to take a peek at these again, than on April 1st? By recalling the things you’ve set for yourself at the start of the year, and reviewing these now, you are more likely to find opportunities and areas of action or inaction.

For example, one of my goals this year was to host my very own art show. I accomplished this goal on March 24th and had a blast hosting it. I also learned a boatload of new skills when it comes to event planning, event management, day of operations, coordination, logistics, expenses and overhead costs, and everything in between. Doing an event all by myself was an exciting opportunity because it meant I had the huge opportunity and chance to fail. While this was definitely a huge fear of mine, the opposite came true. The event was a success and I learned so many new and different ways to enhance a show like this. I’m eagerly looking into the next possibility for a future event and can’t wait to dig in.

This example shows a huge area of action. Not only was there all the planning involved prior to the show, I was also the featured artist, so I had to balance the creative with the logistics. It really helped me explore new interests of mine. I’d love to get more people together in shared spaces like these and bring people together with art, music, and friendship.

As a different example, I set a goal to write 52 articles this year for Fill Your Skill. Instead, I’ve found different capacities for Fill Your Skill and moved into offering several services including resume building, LinkedIn profile makeover, headshots, templates, etc. I’ve also been working on a program I plan on sharing more later this year. What I haven’t been working on much is my articles. My goal is to begin writing more frequently again. I want to prioritize writing and love doing it, but have felt a bit of a creative block.

Hello April:

With the start of April comes the opportunity to refresh the goals that haven’t been fully committed to. The ones that have slipped away. It’s never too late to get started on your goals, and April is the perfect place to start.

Here’s 10 tips on ways to refresh and recharge yourself and start working on your goals. I invite you to pull out your goals as we go through these steps.

1. Revisit & Revise:

If you haven’t looked at your goals since they were written, it’s very possible it’s time to revise your goals. Additionally, if you haven’t written goals yet for the year, now is the perfect place to start. I recommend writing no more than 12, and no less than 3. Take some time to evaluate the goals you wrote at the beginning of the year. Review any steps you may have taken and evaluate the progress you’ve made. This process will help you see how far you’ve come and what opportunities may exist to get to where you want to be.

2. Prioritize:

Not every goal is as important to you as the other. There is ultimately likely 1-3 goals that carry the most weight on your list, especially if you have a longer list like me. Take some time to identify the goals that matter the most to you and which ones you’re committing to focus your energy on. Circle or star these goals on your list. Moving forward, you will be spending your energy and resources on accomplishing these goals.

3. Break Down Large Goals:

If the goal may take a while to accomplish, you may need to break down the goal. Large goals can be intimidating, overwhelming, or just plain difficult to start. When you take the time to break out a large goal into component parts, steps, or simple actions, the pieces start to come together and each task becomes less daunting. You’ll find it much easier to accomplish.

4. Write Down Deadlines:

When you make a commitment with yourself and place a sense of urgency on a goal, it encourages action. Action is a powerful motivator and will help you with staying on track and accomplishing your goal. If you use a daily planner or calendar, or even an app, put appointments and milestones in your phone’s calendar app or the planner you use.

5. Be Flexible:

Be willing to revise your goals again. Understanding that life has unpredictabilities and your circumstances may change is an important factor while working on your goals. You may need to adjust a goal as necessary. Evaluating, evolving, and adjusting does not mean you have given up. It just means your plans are evolving. The only constant in life is change.

6. Practice Self-Care

Practicing self-care is one of the most essential components of goal setting, but is often very overlooked. While it’s great to have a sense of accomplishment, ensure you are not working yourself to burnout. Mental health and physical health may be extremely important towards the success and accomplishment of your goals. Make sure to take care of yourself everyday, listen to your body and mind.

7. Habit Stacking

Habits are often best achieved when stacked with a currently ingrained habit. Try adding a habit into your current routine, in the midst of something you already do like clockwork, such as brushing your teeth, or combing your hair. Experiment with different habits at different times throughout the day and see what works best for you.

8. Seek Support

We’re all human. When it comes to setting goals, change can be very challenging and will often take lots of growth. When you’re struggling, don’t ever feel afraid to reach out to someone such as a friend or family member, or even a mentor to help give you words of encouragement. These individuals may be able to provide new insights, valuable perspective and newfound motivation.

9. Stay Organized

Organization can help boost your ability to be productivity, simply by reducing the stress you experience. Try clearing out your space and keeping it clean. Find new tools and methods to keep track of your todo list and appointments. Give everything in your house a home.

10. Make Time For Your Goals

Make sure you give yourself the time, space and effort to accomplish your goals. Try to set aside at least 30 minutes a day or have a dedicated day per week where you are able to work on your goals and make them a priority. Add the time to your schedule or planner. Don’t schedule over yourself.

BONUS TIP - 11. Make Time For Yourself

It’s as vitally important to make sure you give yourself the space and time to decompress and relax. If you’re feeling stressed or anxious, you’re much less likely to be productive or in the right mindset to get things done. This goes a bit hand in hand with self-care, but it shows the importance of finding a balance between working and playing.