The first 4 things you should do in 2020

So you have FOMO. Not necessarily because you chose to stay in this NYE covered in your matching Christmas pajamas instead of joining the masses at a 20’s inspired party but because you missed out on all that 2019 had to offer. You’ve grown somewhat fearful of opening Instagram only to find that everyone is sharing their top nine moments complete with a caption about how accomplished 2019 was for them. Between Christmas’s depressing end and NYE passing you by, you feel a little alone and unsure of repeating anther year that can only be explained by the “meh” emoji. Oh, I nailed it? Well that has something to do with me being in the same boat. And it’s a rather large boat of us floating around but there’s hope. The big secret to life is that there’s no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you are willing to work.

Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible in to the visible. – Tony Robbins

Realizing the significance of goal-setting and it’s application in your life is crucial to achieving your dreams. Goal’s are the essentially the blueprint to your success. The provide us with direction and without them we are relying solely on hope which, in no way, is a strategy. I repeat, Hope is not a strategy. The first step in a non-repeat of last year is to audit your calendar. Now, I heard this first on the RISE Podcast by Rachel Hollis called The Most Important Things I Do Every Year [Rebroadcast] so I can’t take any credit however, the idea wasn’t even hers in the first place. She got it from John C. Maxwell who wrote “The 15 invaluable laws of growth” which I’m currently burning through (and also highly suggest reading on audio book.)

1. How to audit your calendar:

Take a good look at last years calendar. Whether that’s a digital calendar or a written one, carefully go through each day and analyze your appointments. Create three different categories:

The things you wish you had never done.
The things you would like to repeat
The 5 things that make me feel amazing

By categorizing your calendar in to these three groups, you can see which list needs to be shorter, which needs more attention and what things make you feel like you are living your best life! The next thing you will want to do in 2020 is plan your vacation.

2. Plan your vacation now

It’s easy to put it off but the longer you do, the more likely you are to, brace yourself, never do it!! And that would be such a shame. So here’s a few reasons to plan your summer trip (or spring, or fall etc.) right now besides the cheaper airfare reason being the most obvious.

Less stress in planning.
Easier requests for time off.
More time to work on your itinerary.
No last-minute shopping or rushed packing.
More time to find better deals.
Cheaper airfare.

For us, we are planning on heading to Norway or perhaps Denmark this year. We are already picking out a month and looking for flights. I also heard about this from the RISE podcast and this year will be the first year we do this. Join us!

3. Making a vision board

Third on the list of things that will jump start your year is to make a vision board. Blogger and songwriter, Christine Kane, wrote a comprehensive post on how to make a vision board and breaks it down to three categories easily assessing your goals and year. You can find that here. Or, if you don’t need a detailed look you can always just purchase a board and get to gluing! This year, we are getting a cork board and pins so that we can reuse it the next year since this is our third year making a vision board. We also find it more sturdy and can be easily moved from a wall to lean on something in our closet. Boards tend to be flimsy and fall apart throughout the year.

4. Plan your goals

It’s easy to to say “I want to accomplish X,Y,Z this year” and never hit that mark. Goals need to be broken down in to several markers or smaller goals. Then celebrate those small accomplishments and talk yourself up with positive affirmations. Here’s a breakdown of a Goal which I found inside my new agenda which I am sharing with you below!

“There is no passion to be found playing small—in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” —Nelson Mandela

First, set goals you are passionate about.

You will most likely not hit a goal if you are not passionate about it. Ask yourself a few questions before setting one like, “Am I really committed to this goal? Will I be able to overcome situations that often present themselves on a journey to accomplish this goal?

Set smart goals.

Are they: Specific to what you are doing? Is the outcome measurable? Is it attainable and realistic? Are your goals relevant and do they align with your core values? Will you meet these goals in a specific time? What’s that timeline like?

Make them BIG audacious goals!

In the end, you will feel so much more accomplished after attaining a large goal. When the goal seems big, that’s okay! It forces you to breakdown the goal in to smaller steps + you step out of your comfort zone which builds character and shapes your outcome.