Eight Steps for Making 2021 Your Year

 

I have to be honest with you, I struggled this past year.   There were times that I was so overwhelmed that all I got done was the bare necessities.  I procrastinated (something I NEVER did when I worked for, “the man,”) I got depressed and so unmotivated; and anxiety returned that I had not experienced since my divorce.  At times I felt like I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, getting stuff done but absolutely nothing of importance.

Sound familiar?

 

I knew I needed to change something.

 

 I needed more structure and discipline.

 

I did have good intentions starting 2020, but I guess we all start off the New Year that way.

 

Swearing to ourselves that we will eat better, exercise more, get more sleep, and have less stress……

 

But, then….

 

Then, life happens and Monday’s happen….and…well….slowly but surely those good intentions get put on the back burner.  We tell ourselves we will start again next week,  then the next week turns into the next week, and we find ourselves at the end of the year wondering what in the H. E. DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS happened.

 

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to find myself in the 80% of people who don’t stick to what they committed to;  and I certainly don’t want to find myself back where I was this past year.

 

It’s funny….we wouldn’t dream of backing out of commitments we made with our boss, healthcare providers, friends, etc.  But when it comes to sticking to commitments to ourselves, we compromise.

 

Have you ever wondered why that is?

 

Really, it isn’t that you and I have failed; it’s that we haven’t set ourselves up for success in the first place.

 

Success doesn’t just happen.

 

 It’s planned and intentional.

 

Wouldn’t be great to wake up every morning and look forward to your day even though you have to do hard things?

 

So……..We need a game plan.  I NEED A GAME PLAN.

 

This is what I am doing this next year.  Actually, I started back in November when I made the decision that things needed to change.

 

First step…..throw out the resolution.

 

I know, shocker, right?  It’s tradition, a rite of passage into the New Year to establish a resolution.

 

But just do it.  Trust me.

 

Step Two…..Dream Big……If I could have a perfect year and not fail, what would that look like?  Big goals will push me and draw me out of my comfort zone. It will force me to be a different person.  I can’t reach my goals by being the same person that I am today.   My big dreams for the upcoming year are:

• Double my soap sales from 2020, and
• Have my soaps in at least one shop in every city in our area (Bridge city, Port Neches, Orange, Orange field, Nederland, Groves).
• Have farm tours at least one day a week where families could come milk goats, visit with animals and learn farm life. Families can chose have a little veggie plot of their own that they could care for.
• I would get my girls a horse.
• I would have a little soap shop on my property.

 

Step three….I’m blocking off my non-negotiable time.  For me, these are Sundays.  This means no work (except feeding and caring for animals), NADA.   I spread myself too thin this past year and I need to a make time for myself.

Also, non-negotiable time is my farm marketing time in the afternoons.  This is a commitment I am making to myself and to you to spread the word about the farm and the products we have to offer.   There are more people out there that need what we have and I intend to help them as best as I can.

 

Step four….goal projection.  From me, this is an income projection for sales and farm tours.  For you it might be pounds lost, miles run,  etc.  Conservative goals don’t help me change and grow.  This number should be uncomfortable, and the one I came up with for us is.   Like butterflies in  my stomach uncomfortable.

 

Step five….Year in a glance

I am going plan out my year as best as I can using a calendar. This way I can take a quick look at my calendar and tell people no when I have something planned.

This is the road map that is going to help me reach my 2021 goals.   I got a calendar large enough that I can write on with a side area for notes.  In this area, I wrote what I need to get done for the month.

For example, I know that I need to start my seeds in the grow tent in January to have them ready to plant at the end of February (it’s southeast Texas, ya all.  I get to plant early!).  So I know I need to order my seeds and soil and plan my garden in December.  I pick a weekend in January that I know nothing is going on, and I make that a non-negotiable time to plant.

Map out when you will be taking vacation, when you have extracurricular activities with the kids (if you know this), when you are working, etc.  Mark those on the calendar.

Do this for each month.

 

Step six…Who will I have to become to have success and reach my dreams in 2021?  This is not about changing my personality, or who God made me to be.  This is about creating habits and a lifestyle.  This is about becoming a better writer, more disciplined, having a less cluttered and more structured life (for me anyway).

 

Step seven….I will plan my days and weeks out.  This means that I will pick a day (Saturdays) and spend about ½ hour planning out my next week.   I write out SPECIFICALLY what I will be doing each day.

 

Step Eight….Me time.  I already alluded to this in step three,  but I began a morning routine back in November that I really like and has helped to set me up for the day.  I am up at 5 AM.  I workout, feed animals, milk goats, read my Bible, and journal.  Any extra time in the morning before I go see customers, is spent on farm marketing or working out in the garden.

Also, I need my evenings to decompress.  I am just done by eight and get anxious if I can’t decompress.

 

Need more help?

 

Download our FREE Personalized Guide to Achieving Your Goals in 2021

 

OMGosh…I am getting excited about the new year just writing this.

 

Are you excited about 2021?  If not, ask yourself why.

 

What parts of your life don’t spark joy?

 

I know that things may not always go as planned.  I know emergencies may pop up; and I know as I grow and change, these goals might change but the outline is still the same.

 

Change is a progression over time and mistakes are going to be made and that is okay.

 

Really, I wrote this out as a commitment to myself, but I hope it helps you as well.

 

I have big plans for 2021.  Big plans for the farm and finding new ways to help y’all have a fun, farm experience.

 

What about you?

 

What is your game plan for 2021?

 

Leave a comment below and tell me about it!

 

Don’t forget to download your FREE Personalized Step by step guide to 2021.