How To Make 2021 Your Best Year Ever: Setting New Year Goals

If you're so over 2020, chances are you're on your seat's edge waiting to ring in 2021. A time to start fresh, set new goals, and begin the year on a clean slate.

Ah. No better feeling, right?

But what's going to make 2021 so different than the rest of the other years? Is it our burning desire to push 2020 so far into our distant memory that we never speak of it again? Or is it that we're ready for a change? Ready for something new. Something big.

We're ready to make 2021 the best year yet.

Now before you start setting goals and making New Year's Resolutions, let's take a step back. Did you know that only 8% of people actually complete their resolutions? Pretty low number, right? And the cause of that, likely comes down to two main reasons:

1. not setting goals with intention, and

2. not creating a system with corresponding habits to actually achieve those goals

If you're not one of the 8% - fear not! We're here to help. Today, we're walking you through the key 7 steps to take for you to actually achieve your New Year's resolutions in 2021.

Our method is simple: creating sustainable habits.

But creating and sustaining habits isn't always so easy, now is it? Well, truth is, it doesn't have to be so hard when you take a bite-sized approach. Throughout this article, we'll summarize the formula and methods we cover in the 2021 Better Habits Workbook, our new eBook designed to help you achieve your goals, develop sustainable habits, and create impactful change to make this year YOUR BEST YEAR YET! 

Exciting right?! Let's get into it!

• Who will you be in 2021?
• How is your health?
• How much money are you making?
• What's your relationship with your loved ones like?
• If you were to look back on 2021 at the end of the year, how would you describe yourself?

3. Do a self assessment

Now, go a bit deeper into who you were in 2020 and where you're at currently. It's good to do a self assessment across different key attributes in your life. Give yourself a rating from 1-5 and write down why you gave yourself the rating you did. Here are some key pillars to assess yourself on...

• Physical Health
• Mental Health
• Relationships
• Career
• Personal Finances
• Spirituality
• Purpose
• etc.

4. Set goals

Here's the fun part. By doing a deep reflection on the past, visualizing the future, and doing a detailed assessment on yourself, you can now set some goals that truly align to who you want to be and what you aspire to do. Set 4-6 BIG goals for the year with intention. (Psst! In the 2021 Better Habits Workbook, we walk you through this exact process, and how to create sub-goals for each month that align to your big 2021 goals. Check it out here!)

5. Develop new habits 

A goal without action is just a dream, right? Your next step is to set daily habits on a monthly basis that correspond to your larger goals. (Again, we'll show you the exact way to do this in the 2021 Better Habits Workbook.) 

When we set New Year's Resolutions, we often forget the most important part: creating a plan to help you get there. At the core of every big goal is a number of sustainable and progressive habits that help you make incremental changes to get closer to that goal.

For example, let's say one of your goals is to lose 30 pounds this year. A sub-goal might be to start running every day in January. And the corresponding habit that aligns to that, may be something along the lines of "I will make it a habit to run everyday for 15 mins at 12pm".

Track your habits daily and watch your progress grow exponentially over the course of the year.

6. Check in frequently

Another mistake we make when setting New Year's Resolutions, is the "set it and forget it" mentality. Meaning, we set goals in January, and don't come back to re-visit them until the end of the year.

In reality, we should be checking in on our New Year's Resolutions daily! It's the decisions we make every day that dictate our actions, and ultimately lead to our results. By reminding ourselves on a daily basis of what our big goals are, we keep them front and center, prioritizing our goals and corresponding habits into our day to day lives.

Be consistent and remind yourself of your big goals and sub-goals every single day. Write it out and tape it on your bathroom mirror, make it your cellphone background -- whatever it takes to keep it top of mind!

7. Take it one day at a time

Last but not least, remind yourself, that there are 365 days in a year. Anything worthwhile doesn't happen overnight, meaning you need to be serious about committing yourself daily to make changes over the year.

Whether that's working out on a consistent basis, paying down your debt according to plan monthly, or any other habit you're committing to for 2021, the actions you take each day are the game-changers.

Though it may not feel like much progress as you start your journey, by the end of it, you'll see how every small step added up to something much bigger and better by the end of the year. 

Take it one day at a time and remember, results don't come from inaction. Always be moving forward, even if that's one baby step at a time. 

The 2021 Better Habits Workbook is a guided journal to help you live intentionally and create better habits in the new year. With over 50 pages of reflection, planning, and habit tracking, this workbook will inspire you to carefully craft your year ahead with purpose and direction. 

After all, there's no better way to start off your New Year with the right tools for success!