Did you make goals for 2022? Did you join the 82 million other Americans who decided to write down a goal with the purpose of completing it? ¹ Or, maybe because you’re subconsciously aware that only 9% of people feel they succeed with their New Years resolutions, you decided not to. ²

There’s a greater chance we’ll fail at our resolutions than succeed in accomplishing our goals.

But what happens if you don’t make goals? What happens if you don’t set out to accomplish anything this year? Do you know? I do. Nothing. If you don’t work towards something—you won’t get anywhere.

Don’t let the statistics, the well-known story keep you from setting a goal. Don’t let the fear of failure keep you from moving forward.

You need to make a goal. And this is for those of us who still need to make some.

Because defining goals is all apart of the process, and some of us need to write them down. 

As in, if you haven’t, yet, let’s do it now. (Stick with me, here)

I’ve always been challenged by this incredible quote from Yogi Berra – “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” 

So, where are you going?

What goals are you working on that will provide you the ability to have a better February 28th, July 24 or even a better 2023? The work you do today, gives you the ability to get better tomorrow.

John Maxwell says, “The only promise for a better tomorrow is to get better today.”

Do you want to see something different?

You need a goal—you need a plan if you want to grow in this coming year. 

So make a goal.

And it’s okay, if it’s February 22nd, March 1st, or a random Tuesday. Start a goal. Do it now, because if you want to be successful for the opportunity tomorrow, you need to prepare today. 

Don’t know where to start? Thought you might say that. Here are some ways to get you going:

1. What do you enjoy doing? Goals don’t just have to be things you don’t like to do, or have to work hard at. For instance, I really love my wife. So I have some goals to date her more. That’s something fun and enjoyable—and a goal.

2. What are you already doing every day? Is there something that you already love to do? Can doing more of it be healthy? Do you already like to work out, or go for a run, or go for a walk? Can you be more intentional about this goal, to grow on purpose? I picked up running this last year, so I wrote down a goal to run 500 miles this year. That’s being intentional with what I’m already doing. This one also makes you feel good because you can stop and say, “Hey I already did that.” Consider the box pre-checked.

3. Create mini-goals. Did you write down a BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) this year? Awesome, make it smaller. Meaning break it down into small steps. Each step can be a mini-goal for this coming year and will get you closer to your mountain-sized-goal. You know that running goal above? I broke it down to a weekly milestone. That helped me make it more realistic. Instead of 500 miles this next year, now it’s 12 miles per week (that gives me some wiggle room just in case there’s sickness or some other unplanned event that keeps me from running). 

4. Write it down. Don’t just read this and think, “My goal this year will be…” Take the same amount of time, open up Notes in your phone and title the Note: My Goals for 2022. Define your goals, now go and deliver on your goals. Dr. Gail Matthews of Dominican University in California conducted some research with 270 participants on goal setting. She found that “You are 42 percent more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down.” ³  Give yourself a head start. Write it down.

5. Ask someone else. You don’t have to think up your goals on your own. Ask someone else. What is someone else doing this year? Do you want to do that? Try it. Why not? I have a friend who has a goal to read books this year. That’s a great goal, so I “borrowed” his goal and also wrote down my own. Not to compare, of course, in fact he might read more than me, and that’s fine, but now I have a goal for myself.

6. Start. What can you start today? Is your goal something that you can work towards today, or do you have a lot of obstacles or challenges to get started? Eliminate the obstacles and choose a goal that’s attainable. One of my goals is take more vitamins this year. So, I went to the cupboard and found what vitamins have been sitting around. Start there.

7. Start again. Okay, so what happens if something completely unforeseen happens on day 15 and you can’t have a perfect score. It’s okay. Just start again. Every day is a new opportunity to start again. “Remember, life is nothing more than the sum total of many successful years; a successful year is nothing more than the sum total of many successful months; a successful month is nothing more then the sum total of successful weeks; a successful week is nothing more than the sum total of many successful days.” – John Maxwell. To fail is human, so don’t be surprised if and when you get tripped up. It’s okay to start again tomorrow,

Here’s a bonus challenge for you (if you need that sort of thing): share your goals, or one goal, with someone in your life. They not only can keep you accountable, they also get to share in your accomplishing that goal. Celebrations are far better done with others than alone.

Got some ideas already brewing? Need to write them down? Great. The comment feed is at your disposal. Let us know where you’re aiming this year. We’re ready to cheer you on. 

Want to read more this year? Check out the Top 5 for 2022 from my reading list. Start there.