As I said in this post I’ve set a few goals for myself in 2018. I always believe in writing your goals down. I think it helps you visualize what you want to accomplish. It also gives you a reference to look back on to track your progress. In addition to writing my goals down there are a few other things I’m doing to make sure 2018 is a success. I don’t typically use the term resolution because I don’t think it’s possible to completely change habit. I prefer to set small, attainable goals. So here are few ways I am planning on making 2018 a success.

Monitor Goals Monthly

Having an end goal is great, and honestly, necessary. But you have to make sure you are staying on track. I didn’t do that in 2017 and I lost sight of what I was working towards. This year I am going to take time each month to make sure I am doing things that will get me closer towards my goals. One way I plan to monitor my goals is to break down the big goal into smaller milestones. Let’s say I know I want to go on vacation in September and I need X amount of money put aside. I’ll keep track every month in a spreadsheet or even a journal (whatever works best). This way I know I am staying on track.

Reassess Goals Regularly

Over the year things will shift. I might realize that the goal I set for myself to grow my monthly page views by a certain percentage is either too easy or way out of reach. It’s important to make sure your goals are challenging but not impossible. Having a goal that isn’t attainable will just make you feel defeated. So make sure you reassess regularly.

Keep Yourself Motivated

I struggle with this the most. It is hard for me to stay motivated if I’m not seeing immediate results. I like instant gratification and unfortunately anything worth working towards usually takes a little longer. So this year I’m going to try a few different ways to stay motivated. I’ve seen several people recently who share their “monthly mood boards” and I decided I needed to have a monthly vision board. Like I said earlier I think that visualizing your goals is very important, so why not do a monthly vision board?! Even if it’s on a secret Pinterest board. It helps to have something to visualize to keep your eye on the prize.

Challenge Yourself

I mentioned in this post that it is challenging for me to open up to people. But it is one of my goals this year to be more open. I’m a classic introvert and not a natural “sharer.” Even talking to the camera on Instagram stories is something that can be very hard for me. So naturally, I avoid it! But this year it is one of my goals to be more comfortable opening up. So to challenge myself I have been thinking of different ways to be more engaging. Something that is hard for an introvert like me! But I know that in order to grow, I have to challenge myself.

My goals for this year will be tough to achieve, especially since some of them will require even more dedication after losing focus in 2017. But that’s the best part of a new year! It’s the opportunity to build momentum from the previous year and to make sure that this year will be a success. xo Bryn