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Can we take a minute to acknowledge all the talk around New Year’s Resolutions? Well done to everyone doing this – but Rihanna said it best, to be a successful queen, you need to ‘work, work, work, work, work, work…’ We’re sure even Riri’s version of working starts by setting some goals. 

Like most things in life, it’s easier to talk about five and even 10 year goals, than actually going out there and achieving them. This is definitely not something to feel bad about. But, how do we lose the anxiety, stress and all round negative feelings associated with planning ahead for your life, when everything needs to be done in a specific timeline? One word… BREATHE! Then, give this a read, we think it will help you declutter your goal getting game so you can focus on achieving them instead:  

1. Get rid of FOMO feels: We are all surrounded by people we love. These may be our friends, family or close colleagues who have a vision for their lives, just as you do for your own – be careful that you do not set goals to compete with others and more importantly, don’t have goals just because someone is telling you to have them. Set goals that are true to who you are. The path that your friends and colleagues are on, is not yours – create your own dreams and work on achieving them, regardless of someone else’s journey.
2. Setting Goals: Be flexible & honest with yourself: One of the most difficult things for some human beings, is admitting when things are not working out and then adapting to change. The same applies to goal setting. So, think about keeping track of your goals by being honest with yourself when your plan to reach those goals aren’t working – Be flexible enough to change your plan so that it fits into your schedule and you have more time to make it a reality. This can be as simple as having daily check-ins, vision boards or calendars to evaluate the progress you’ve made.
3. Plan and Prioritize: If you have more than one goal to achieve – like most fierce women, prioritize your goals around the one’s you are keen to achieve first, second then last. Then, work on timelines to achieve each goal – After all, a goal is just a dream with a timeline.
4. Stay dedicated and motived: We all have lazy days and that’s okay – just don’t let the laziness stay for an entire season. Reboot your motivation level by reminding yourself of the reason for your goals. (Also, a pep talk from mom usually helps too.)
5. Create your own timeline: Do what works for you and stick to it. Know when to have a good time with your friends and know when to say, ‘no thank you, I can’t make it tonight.’ Remember, even at a snail’s pace, progress can be made. You aren’t competing with anyone else’s timelines for success, only your own.
6. Don’t be afraid to fail: Failure is a natural part of everyone’s life. Nothing is perfect, so why do we expect not to fail? Welcome failure with open arms and see it as an opportunity to learn and grown. Don’t give failure the power to weigh you down. We’ve found our own definition for it and you’re welcome to print it out and paste it on your vision board: 
   

   F: Found
      A: Another
           I: Interesting
   L: Lesson

7. Happiness first: Many people have their own definition for success, whether it’s acquiring lots of money, power, status, or materialistic things – success means different things to different people. So, don’t try and mimic the people you admire when they’re fulfilling their own definition of success. Rather, define what success means and what success looks like to you, then work towards being ‘successful’ in a way that makes you happy.
8. Know when enough is enough: When you have goals that need achieving, it’s easy to put in long hours, go days without sleep, while being fuelled by coffee. This is all good and well, until you burn out. Pro tip: you can’t achieve your goals if you are tired and miserable. So, sleep when you need to, take a break when it’s necessary and find some laughing moments in between the chaos – after all, it’s the journey to achieving the goals that you’ll remember more, so make it memorable for you.

Remember, you’re not competing with anyone but yourself, so find what makes you happy and pursuit it relentlessly. You set your own timeline, so go forth and conquer, until you and no one else, but YOU are satisfied! Then, will you realize that the old cliché is true – “you won’t work a day in your life, when you truly love what you do.” – Probably from a strong woman long, long ago.