Why are goals important?

The Power of Designing Your Year

Are you tired of setting goals that don’t stick? Do you start off with great intentions but soon slide back into old habits or get completely side tracked by the busyness of life?

Maybe you think you have goals…

‘I want to lose weight’, ‘I want to get organised’, ‘I want to start a business.’

These aren’t goals, they’re wishes. Everybody has wishes.

So how do you transform a wish into a goal – and then bring it into your life?

I’m going to show you how, step by step in this 4-part blog series.

2019 is going to be YOUR year!

I’m hugely into goals because I’ve got first hand experience of how powerful they are. I’ve learned what makes certain goals stick – and others not. And I’m excited to show you how to Design Your Year!

You’ll create successful goals that will make a positive difference to your everyday life.

This doesn’t have to be climbing a mountain or running a marathon. (Unless you really want to!)

What about productivity goals that’ll help you feel more on top of your busyness? Health goals that’ll bring you fresh energy and vitality?

Perhaps you want to improve your parenting skills, plan some new adventures, or maybe you’ve got a business idea you’d love to get off the ground?

Not all goals are ‘doing’ goals. It’s important to get clear about how you want to feel this coming year so you can balance doing with being.

Every January for the last ten years, I’ve teamed up with my power posse to set our goals for the coming year. We explore what’s worked and what hasn’t in each of our 8 Key Life Areas.

We look back on our previous year to celebrate our successes and explore the reasons for any backsliding. Based on what we’ve learned and how we want life to be – we then set clear goals for the year ahead.

Each year just gets better and better and we can see for ourselves how amazing this process is! (The concept of this Project Me website and global movement was the direct result of a January goal setting session.)

Your Design Your Year homework for part 1:

1. Use The Project Me Life Wheel®

It will help you to break your life down into 8 Key Life Areas so you can get a more objective view of what needs your focus. Sign up below and I’ll send it to you now. (Be sure to check your junk folder if you don’t see it within a few minutes.) 

2. Get yourself a dedicated notebook or journal.

It’s important to have one specifically for this – that way you can look back each year and see where you’ve made progress or where you’re stuck.

3. Block off some ‘me-time’.

A couple of hours is ideal (or break it up into two sessions).  Tell your family you need some uninterrupted time. They’re going to benefit from you doing this too!

4. Do your Life Wheel check-in.

Use the Life Wheel prompts to reflect on each of your 8 Key Life Areas. If your wheel looks wobbly, it shows you where you need to set some goals that’ll make a real difference in the year ahead. Be honest with yourself and see where there’s room for improvement.

This exercise is not designed to make you feel bad or guilty. It’ll help you to start making positive changes. so you will step out of auto-pilot and begin to consciously create a life you love. Your future self will thank your for it!

My wheel used to be wonky too. I was unorganised, overwhelmed, stressed, shouted at my kids, had a crap work-life balance, a bad diet and suffered from guilt over not being ‘good enough’.

Since I created my own Project Me and began Designing My Year over ten years ago –  the transformation has been incredible.

5. It’s time for a braindump!

Write your lowest scoring life area on a fresh page in your notebook, then write your dream vision for how you’d like that area to look, feel and be. Write freely, don’t overthink it or worry about how you’re going to make it happen. Through imagination you can bring to life your deepest desires.

When you’re done, leave a couple of blank pages and do the same for your next life areas.

Well done for taking the first step on what’s going to be an amazing year ahead. Pat yourself on the back for investing this time in you. When you’re ready click here for Part 2:  Goals That Rock!

If you’d like support and accountability for all of this, come on over and join Project WE – a private online membership club for women with a growth-mindset who want to achieve their goals – while enjoying the journey. Get full details here.

website cover - life wheel new

Have you got the FREE & FABULOUS Project Me Life Wheel® yet?  It’ll quickly show you where you’re currently out of balance so you know what needs your focus FIRST.

Enter your first name and email address below:

You will also receive the Project Me newsletter to keep you motivated and inspired in all areas of your life.
I won't bombard you or share your details with anyone - promise.

13 Comments

  1. Alexis Newman on January 6, 2014 at 11:46 AM

    Life Wheel printed and ready for tonight after the kids go to bed – or maybe at half time of the big game;) Excited (I am DEFINITELY a 10) to do a little self evaluation and work on a more balanced life this year.
    My goals are to eat healthier and lose weight, ramp up my home based business through consistent activity and actions that I can control, stop yelling at my kids and to put my relationship with my husband as a higher importance in my life (above work and other obligations)!

    Seriously C.A.N.T. Wait!

    • Suzie Shpaizer on January 6, 2014 at 3:11 PM

      Woo hoo!! Loving that you’re an excited 10! A+ for enthusiasm (it’ll get you a looong way!). Well done on sharing your excellent goals with us – we’re behind you all the way. Good luck and stay tuned to the blog over the next few weeks for more advice on goal setting and goal keeping.

  2. Leslie on January 6, 2014 at 2:06 PM

    As of right now, my main goal is to become more connected with my children. I’m a single mom and their dad lives on the other side of the country… We all need this :-). In so glad I found you!!

  3. Suzie Shpaizer on January 6, 2014 at 3:15 PM

    You are welcome Kandi! Loving your positivity looking ahead into 2014 – the only way is up from here on in. So let’s get accountable – have you scheduled in a time to get going on your life wheel yet? You’ve got to write it down to make it happen! Best of luck!

  4. Michelle on January 6, 2014 at 8:57 PM

    I’m totally a 10 on this for enthusiasm – though, I must admit, I’m skeptical I can make lasting changes. I start a lot of things and never see them through. So, my goals for this year are huge and I hope you gals can help! I thank you for offering this program! My goals are: 1) stop yelling at my kids 2) stop feeling overwhelmed all the time by the things I have to do, which cause me feel even more anxious! 3) get a new, home-based business off the ground to take some of the pressure off my poor husband, who works all the time. Add in some regular exercise/yoga for mental health and physical health. Yowza. I am ready to get started. Will do the life wheel tonight after boys are in bed!

    • Kelly Pietrangeli on January 6, 2014 at 9:12 PM

      Michelle we are so happy you’re with us on this and your 10 for enthusiasm means you’re off to a great start. We can absolutely relate to your goals and have some great resources coming up to help you. Stay tuned! One step at a time.

      If you’re not already signed up for our Monday Motivators, pop you details in the red box for the extra boost.

      Are you on Facebook? If so, come and ‘like’ our page and then check your newsfeed as we’ll be sharing a lot of links to resources in each life area there.

      Keep commenting – we want to hear your progress 🙂

  5. Tammy on January 7, 2014 at 11:27 AM

    I am another for starting things and never finishing them. So I really need to be pushed and try to focus.
    I want to reconnect with myself, children and husband.
    I want more fun in my life.
    I scored under 5 in all of my things for my wheel so I think I have a lot of work on my hands!!

    • Suzie Shpaizer on January 8, 2014 at 11:57 AM

      Don’t be too hard on yourself Tammy. You’ve made that important first step in realising that you need to make some changes. Look out for next week’s blog which will show you how to make your goals specific and achievable. If you haven’t already signed up for our Monday Motivators just put your details in the red sign up box for that extra weekly boost – we’re behind you all the way. Keep us posted on how it’s going. Good luck!

  6. Suzie Shpaizer on January 8, 2014 at 12:00 PM

    Katie thank you! It’s so good to hear that you’re reaping the benefits of all the effort you’ve made towards achieving your goals in the last couple of years. 2014 will be an awesome year for you because you will design it that way! Love your specific, positively phrased goal – you go girl!

  7. Michelle on January 8, 2014 at 6:43 PM

    I’m working through the “Brain Dump” – it is really helpful to get all these thoughts off my chest and onto paper! That way, at least I don’t feel like I am carrying them around with me all the time, but rather that they are saved in a safe place, where I can return to them later with full attention. That alone has given me more open brain space to use in attending to other important matters – like my kids!

    • Kelly Pietrangeli on January 9, 2014 at 6:05 AM

      Doesn’t a good brain dump feel amazing?! We wish everyone would get into this habit of getting stuff ‘out of your head and onto paper’. I hope your comment inspires more mothers to do this!

      Have you checked out our printable Action Sheets yet? They are designed especially for this.

      http://myprojectme.com/action-sheets/

      Thanks so much for your comment Michelle!

  8. Eli@coachdaddy on January 8, 2014 at 6:45 PM

    I need this! I just signed up. If I could balance out what’s most important and make sure I’m spending most of my time on those things … I just feel like if I had balance and focus, my life would be complete.

    • Kelly Pietrangeli on January 9, 2014 at 6:08 AM

      Yes! Yes! Yes! You have hit the nail on the head Eli 🙂

      Project Me is all about figuring out what’s important at any given time in your life so you can spend time doing what really matters. This will bring about a natural feeling of balance and focus.

      Your on the right path! Stick with us and keep leaving eye opening comments like that so everyone can benefit from your insights.

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