Super Mom Hacks

How to Reach Your Goals This Year (Free Printable!)

(UPDATED FOR 2022) As I’ve written elsewhere, once upon a time I was the Queen of Getting Things Done. Then I had kids, and my productivity mojo vanished. It’s taken a long time for me to reclaim it. But now that I have, I can’t wait to share with you the secret of how to reach YOUR goals this coming year.

No, I haven’t magically multiplied the hours on the clock (I wish!). Or discovered some miracle drug (unless you count sleep in that category). But over the past few years, I’ve gotten SO much better at setting long-term goals, working toward them, and checking them off as “done.”

Ready for the secret? Then keep reading for the step-by-step formula that YOU can use to set big goals this coming year, and then actually reach your goals!

Want to FINALLY reach your goals? This step-by-step guide on how to reach your goals (w/free printable!) will make this the year you slay your goals!

Originally published Jan. 1, 2020; last updated December 2021

My Favorite Goal-Slaying Hacks: How To Reach Your Goals This Year

1. Write those goals down!

Even if you’re the queen of digital planning tools, write your goals down on paper.

New year, new start – time to write down those goals for the year!

The act of writing by hand activates different parts of your brain than just typing them. If you haven’t been (say) a college student recently, let me give an example:

Two students are sitting in a lecture hall. One is typing notes on a laptop or tablet. The other has a notebook and pen, and is taking notes by hand.

Who will have better understanding and recall of the material afterward?

According to studies done on this very subject, the student taking notes by hand:

2. Sort and prioritize your goals

You may find it helpful to write your goals in different categories as you go; or you may find it useful to sort them out afterward. For example,

Sorting through your goals will help you figure out

3. Pick your first month’s goals, and plan what steps you’ll take to achieve your goals that month

Once you’ve sorted through your goals and identified any sticking points, you can decide which goals you want to focus on in your first month. I’d recommend no more than 1-3. You can always add more later, but you want to have measurable progress to show at the end of the month so you don’t get discouraged.

As you’re picking which goals you want to attack first, think about the specific baby steps you’ll need to take to accomplish each goal. Identify those sticking points in your first month’s goals, and figure out what you have to do to overcome them.

For example, say you want to lose weight this year. Related to this, two of your more specific goals for the year are to start a new healthy eating regime, and to train for your first 100-mile (“century”) bike ride. Only you live somewhere where winters are too cold and dark to go on long bike rides.

4. Write down the tiny steps you’ll take this month to work on each goal

Having great big goals won’t get you anywhere unless you break them down into tiny little doable steps, and put the steps into order. Identifying the “sticking points” is part of this process; once you’ve identified them, you can take them on first, so they’re no longer holding you back.

Let’s say you’ve always dreamed of getting your master’s degree. Only problem is, you left undergrad a few courses shy of your degree. So you’ve been letting that hold you back from pursuing your dream of getting that MSW or M.Div. or MBA or whatever.

Sticking point: need to get those last few college credits.

Okay, so how are you going to do that?

There! You’ve written out the specific steps you need to take next to help you work toward that larger dream!

Likewise, going back to the previous example, the first steps on “healthy eating” could involve getting a referral to a nutritionist, or researching different eating plans. And you won’t get to those spin classes unless you figure out when they are, and how you’ll squeeze them in around your other commitments (work, family, etc.).

Once you have those little steps written down, you can add them into your weekly/daily to-do lists, and check them off one at a time.

Find yourself avoiding starting on one of those little steps? Maybe the step is still too big and/or will take too long; can you break it down more? Maybe there’s a sticking point you haven’t identified yet. See if you can figure it out.

5. Check back regularly on your progress toward your goals

At least monthly, look back at your goals – both the goals you set for that month (including the sticking points and step-by-step), and your goals for the year. How are you doing on them?

At the very least, take a little time at the end of each month to see how you did on that month’s goals, and figure out what your 1-3 goals for the next month will be.

It’s also super-helpful to do a bigger check-in at some point midyear, and see if you need to reassess your goals.

A final note on this writing-it-down thing:

But where/how am I going to write down all these goals and all the steps?

Need a place to write down those goals, and the steps you’re going to take to accomplish them each month? Well, you’re in luck! – I’ve put together a free 30-page printable booklet (updated for 2022!) to help you set, plan, and accomplish your goals this year.  ✅Click here to get access to it!

(I personally like to write down my goals in my Bullet Journal. If you’ve never started one before, I have a simple quick-start guide to doing BuJo the easy way that you can read – no artistic skills or fancy accessories needed!)

Here’s to making this coming year the year you slay your goals like never before!

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