Maybe New Year resolutions aren’t your thing, and it definitely isn’t for everyone (it’s definitely NOT my cup of tea!). While I think that resolutions can be a bit vague and it can be hard to hold on to once the months pass by, I think there is a wonderful thing about setting goals for yourself at the start of the year. 

I recently did this with my husband, and it was refreshing to have an open discussion about our goals, and what we wanted to achieve. I reflected on what goals I wish to accomplish this year, and he did the same. After we took the time to reflect on our goals, we sat on our living room couch and shared what each of us wrote. My notes were scribbled on a piece of paper, while his goals were listed on a color-coded spreadsheet, labeled with different buckets. Needless to say, we clearly have different personalities. 

TSF TIP:

Regardless of whether you’re writing these goals alone, with your S.O., or with your best friend, I recommend writing your goals out, whether you prefer writing on a piece of paper or electronically. It helps reinforce the ideas that you have when you see it for a second, or third time, instead of keeping it in your head. 

When my husband and I discussed our goals together, we made it a point to talk about the significance of why we wanted to achieve the goal and how we can go about doing so. For some goals, you don’t need to know how to completely achieve a goal at that exact moment (e.g. learning about a certain subject or learning a new hobby). Maybe you need to do some more research to see whether it would be possible, and maybe you realize later that it’s not worth your time — and this is completely OK. <insert hug here>

After discussing our goals, we gave each other our honest advice, and sought out ways on how we can help the other person out. If you are doing the brainstorming on your own, I recommend sharing them with a trusted friend or mentor, and ask them to give their honest and transparent thoughts. As a result of our sharing and advice-giving session, my husband and I both had a better idea of what are our goals, why we want to achieve them, and how we can try to achieve our goals. 

Most importantly, use this brainstorming sesh as a catalyst to jumpstart into driving these goals in formation. Keep your list handy so you can refer to it from time to time, and make 2020 your year!