I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard this, “I can’t wait for 2021 to get here.” This past year was challenging – just escaping the grip of 2020 may feel like a significant win. Entering this new year feels hopeful. 2021 is full of potential and possibilities.
So how will you light your 2021 fire?
We’re each starting with a clean slate. Rather than just tumble into the new year with no strategy, create a plan for what’s going to fill that blank slate. Either you fill it intentionally, or it will fill itself – and you’ll be left wondering how 2021 slipped past you. Take some time right now to set your goals for this new year.
I’m not talking about setting New Year’s resolutions – you know, the kind you start in January and discard by mid-February. I’m talking about goals. The kind that come with a plan, commitment, and some accountability. The kind that start as dreams and become realities.
If you’re interested in setting some 2021 goals, the kind that leave you better at the end of the year than where you started, then keep reading…
For years, just like many of you, I set resolutions. I’m going to lose some weight, be a better husband and dad, and read more books. Most of the time, those resolutions were squishy. I never painted a detailed, vivid picture of what achieving those things would look like or feel like. I also never came up with a detailed plan for what I was going to do to get there and who would hold me accountable for doing the work. They weren’t goals – they were wishes. And by February of each year, they had vanished into thin air.
Two years ago, I chose to make a transition. No more resolutions – it was time to set some real, vivid goals. If I were going to do that, I needed a framework for how I would achieve those goals. It needed to be simple yet detailed, outcome-focused, targeted on my purpose and “why,” with accountabilities built-in to keep me on track. I wanted a tool that would help me achieve my goals. I couldn’t find a system I loved, so I grabbed pieces I liked and made my own.
In 2019, I used my goal setting system for the first time, and it worked wonders. I achieved things that year that I had not been able to complete two and three years before. The next year, I refined it a bit, and then as we approached 2020, I shared that framework on my blog. Many of you used it, and let me know how impactful it had been for you.
This year, as we’re stepping into 2021, I want to share my goal setting system with you again. A few weeks ago, we started this process when I asked you to reflect on your 2020 Snapshot and the lessons you learned over the past year. Now, with those lessons in hand, it’s time to move onto our goal setting.
Coming out of 2020, I see goal setting through a new lens. Having clear goals is one of the things that helped me stay focused and healthy through all the uncertainty and turmoil of this past year. I learned the importance of flexibility in our goals and realized the need to continually remain checked in with those goals on a monthly and weekly basis.
Goal setting saved me in 2020, and it’s made me more prepared for 2021. It will do the same for you. You can download my system here in this easy-to-use PDF.
It’s separated into three simple steps. First, we use Depth Charting to measure where you’re at and what’s most important to you in this coming year. Next, you’ll choose the two to three areas that matter most to you and set some goals around those. It would be easy to set more than that, but I want to help you get laser-focused on the most important things, not everything. Finally, we choose what actions we’ll take to achieve our goals, who will hold us accountable, and what steps we can take to ensure our success.
If you’re ready to set your goals for 2021, this goal setting system will help you simplify and clarify the process. I’ll be using it on my side as well, and together we’ll set the stage for a fantastic new year.
Like I said earlier, either you fill in 2021, or it will fill itself and you’ll be left wondering how another year slipped past you. Let’s not let that happen! Download your Depth Not Width goal setting tool and get started right now…
I hope that 2021 is an incredible year for you. And, I hope you know that you’re not walking into it alone. There is a tribe of people just like you here at Depth Not Width focused on growth, positivity, and helping one another succeed. I’ll be using this platform to share encouragement, lessons, and some accountability to help each of you reach your goals in 2021. Join us here and let’s make this year one to remember!
– John
