Goals for 2020

Yes, I know it’s still technically December. But bear with me. This is my fifth year using the Cultivate What Matters Powersheets for goal setting. Some years I’ve been better about focusing on my goals and using my Powersheets than others. I, like many, enter the new year filled with hope for the year ahead. And 2020 is no different. The prospect of a new year gives me a brief respite from my depression and I feel infinitely optimistic about all the things I’ll accomplish.

Generally, sometime during the year I realize I’ve made very little progress towards my goals. Part of my problem is that in the past, my goals haven’t been specific enough. So this year I’m taking my big, lofty goals and breaking them into concrete, manageable chunks. And the redesign of the Powersheets for 2020 really seems to focus on those concrete, tangible goals. Or maybe I’m just finally getting it.

Opportunity

There’s a lot of uncertainty in the year ahead. While I can’t be more specific, there’s a new opportunity for me on the horizon and it could be life changing. But I’m still in the waiting phase. Watch and see is not good for someone with extreme anxiety like me. But if it comes to fruition, I have a feeling a couple of my goals will become that much easier to achieve. And with it comes even more uncertainty. Hopefully soon I’ll be able to elaborate.

There are two things I have to keep in mind for 2020 and progress on my goals:
1. Progress not perfection
2. It’s okay to grow slow

I’m not always good with these important principles. I want change and I want it now. And if I’m not making perfect progress, it’s easy for me to abandon my goals as too difficult or impossible to achieve. If I’m not making progress fast enough, I compare myself to others. And as Lara Casey always says, Comparison is the thief of joy. So I’m setting my intention for 2020: I will make imperfect progress in the timing that is right for me. I will not compare my progress to the progress of others.

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What would my 2020 goals be?

When determining what my 2020 goals would be, I laid out some of the key things I wanted to accomplish on a small scale. I’ve always wanted to get better at French. I want to spend more time outdoors, particularly hiking, but also going on walks with Kyle. Also, I want to deepen my friendships and my relationship with Kyle. And I want to save money, drink more water, be more present, and find more balance in my life. So how would I categorize these into larger goals?

First, I had to figure out what fires me up. These things would help me to focus more clearly on my goals. You can see some of those things in the image above. But spending time with Kyle, being with my brothers, the ocean, and good times with good friends are right up there at the top of things that really fire me up.

2020 Goals

So I narrowed my goals to 5 key areas:
1. Be an exceptional wife
2. Pay off my debt
3. Live healthy
4. Be a thoughtful friend
5. Be a pirate expert

In order to achieve those goals, I knew I had to be more deliberate in my tending list items than I have in the past. So it was a no brainer when it came to choosing my word for 2020: deliberate. Because I want to live consciously and intentionally in the coming year. And because I want to be deliberate in achieving my goals.

I broke those 5 main goals up into mini-goals for January. When it comes to paying off debt, I read Dav Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover and started working through the workbook. I’ve also started putting money into savings and paying off one of our credit cards for the snowball effect. In terms of being an exceptional wife, I’ve started re-reading the 5 Love Languages (and just ordered the military version), to re-familiarize myself with Kyle’s main love languages. While I can’t act on them until he’s home, I can at least be prepared.

In terms of living a healthy life, I’ve broken that goal into exercise, meal planning, and basic care like drinking more water. And in terms of being a pirate expert, I’ve decided to finally sit down and begin revising my manuscript for publication. I also forgot to put on the list that I’ll be presenting on my research at the Conference on Latin American History in affiliation with the American Historical Association on January 4th.

So what are your 2020 goals? And how can I help hold you accountable to them? Let’s rock 2020 together!