A SureFire Way to Evaluate Your Past, Set Goals for Your Future, and Stick to Them

We all know that setting goals can be annoying, tedious, make your brain hurt, and even stress you out sometimes. You have to think about where you were last year, where you want to be this year, and then somehow put the steps in place to make it happen. Most of the time, I can’t even plan out what I’m going to wear tomorrow, let alone determine what I want to accomplish. I guess that is why Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg just wear the same thing every day.

When setting goals this year, I made sure to find a fool-proof method that is going to take you from Point A to Point B. I was actually inspired by an article and video by Tom Ferry and Mike Vance. Tom Ferry is a leading Real Estate coach and investment aficionado, and Mike Vance is best known as a motivational speaker who worked alongside Walt Disney and popularized the phrase “think outside of the box.”

Together they discuss these 8 Equities of Life, which are 8 areas that you can find fulfillment in:

- Physical

- Family

- Spiritual

- Career

- Attitude

- Financial

- Relationships 

- Knowledge

Those 8 categories really sum up our lives, don’t they? If you aren’t that into spirituality, then replace that with charities you want to get involved with or some ways that you plan to give back this year. If you also want to add in other categories, then do it! Personally, I added in a travel category and wrote out where I want to go and who I want to see.

Evaluate yourself in each of these categories and ask yourself the following questions: Where do I fall in each of these areas? What are my habits? Most importantly during this section do not shortcut yourself. 2019 may or may not have the best year for you, but either way you want to be as introspective as possible to really get the most out of the next part.

After you’ve evaluated your current situation, now you get to “think outside the box.” Start visualizing where you want to be in each of those 8 equities. What do you want to accomplish? What kind of person do you want to be in December 2020? The key here is to be as creative as possible. Push past your own reservations about what you think you can accomplish and dive into that abyss we so often ignore about what you truly want to accomplish.  Basically, throw away your hesitations and embrace the fear with open arms.

My goals span from hashtags like #DrinkMoreWater2020 (if you know me, you know I hate water), giving back to the community and world, save enough money to start investing, and continue to diversify my professional skill set. Now, these are my goals so what is my plan to make them happen? Well, since I was doing the bare minimum in each of those categories in the first place, I knew that I just had to start. 

I use an app and a 26 ounce water bottle to hold me accountable to drinking water.

I have one day a month that I’m going to Feed My Starving Children to give back to the world. 

I have a strict budget and savings account to put enough money away. 

I have books, articles, and webinars put aside and saved to make me a better asset to my team. 

The key to get from Point A to Point B is writing it down, shouting it from the rooftops, and using tools to hold you accountable. After I’ve thought about my goals, I write them down in an old-school notebook, type them out, send them out to my circle, and break them down into mini stepping stones and incorporate into my schedule and planner.

It is never too early or too late to start thinking about your goals. All you have to do is commit.

Commit to thinking about your past, present, and future self.

Commit to writing your ideas down. 

Commit to telling people about the changes you want to make. 

Commit to sticking it out. 

As my mentor said, in order to have a bad ass year, you have to be a badass.