January is THE season for setting goals. Let’s face it. There’s something super tempting about a fresh new year, a clean slate, a chance to do it all over and do it better, right?

Goals keep you productive.

Goals give you focus.

Goals take a dream and turn it into a reality. It’s that simple.

Since I’d shared our word for 2016 with you earlier this week, I wanted to dig a bit deeper and share how we use it to set goals and then, actually work to make those goals happen.

So, here’s a look at how we set our goals, our goals for this year as a family and a business, and of course, how we’ll be achieving them.

But first, here is the ONE thing that you will need to make accomplishing goals easy and doable.

A goal setting worksheet.

It’s free.

It’s printable.

And you can download it right now, right here. You’re welcome. 😉

How to Set Goals so You Actually Accomplish Them

Goal setting is the most successful when you don’t just outline your goals but you also map out the action steps and the rewards of taking action and meeting your goals.

It’s actually incredibly simple when you think about it.

Hone in on your family’s and business’s focus areas.

Identify actionable goals that you can achieve for each of those areas.

Recognize and reward yourself for making things happen.

A lot of folks swear by the S.M.A.R.T goal setting method. If that’s you, go for it. In case you’re wondering S.M.A.R.T stands for:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Relevant

Timely

My method is what works for me, so I’m sticking with it.

How to Use a Goal Setting Worksheet to Get Things Done

Since you know that I have a newfound love affair with my printer, I recommend printing out one sheet per month or just print out 12 and be done with it 😉

Next, jot down your Word of the Year and your Focus Areas for that month.

Here’s mine for January.

Focus Areas include:

Health

Family

Business

That’s it. 3 areas are more than enough for me to focus on.

I, then, map out goals based on those focus areas and of course, my word of the year.

Here are my goals for personal, relationship and business growth.

Goal 1 for Personal Growth:Reach my ideal weight and heal my body

You guys. I don’t think I’ve shared this with y’all or very many people, in fact, but in December last year {on the 24^th, to be precise}, I was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst that had a mural nodule aka tumor on it. While laparoscopy and surgical removal was recommended, Mayank and I decided to go with a non-invasive and more long-term approach.

Eating clean.

Not only will this help heal my body but also, help me reach my ideal weight.

So, on that note, here are my action steps for this:

1. Cut back on {yes, reduce not cut out completely because well… human and baby steps;)} sugar and caffeine.

2. Eat salads 3x a week. I’m replacing one major meal with a salad, three times a week. Doable.

3. 30 minutes exercise.

That’s it. 3 simple action steps for this month. Easy-peasy, right?

Reward will be more energy, better health, and most importantly, being cyst-free.

Goal 2 for Relationship Growth: Schedule a monthly “let’s meet” event with folks other than family.

So, here’s the thing. Mayank’s an introvert. I’m an introvert. What do you get when two introverts meet? Lots of introverting.

Which really isn’t all that great when you’re also working together.

Our goal to grow our relationships this year is to make it a point to meet with people other than family and nurture our other interests, like cooking/baking, reading, sports, travel, photography.

Action steps include:

1. Look for meetup groups for reading and cooking for myself. Mayank will join a running group.

2. Schedule time to actually attend the meetup.

That’s it. Yep. Pretty simple, right? Funny I’ve never done it so far. 😉

Goal 3 for Business Growth: Start blogging 8x a month on Content Bistro

Yep. THIS is one of the changes you’d be seeing over here.

We’ll be chatting more often with you via the blog, featuring more interesting entrepreneurs on Tea Tales, sharing snippets from our lives as parentpreneurs and of course, dishing out freshly squeezed ideas, tips and strategies to help you free up time and amp up engagement using social media, SEO and content.

Nice, right?

Here’s how that’s gonna happen or rather is already happening:

1. Create an editorial calendar for the next 3 months.

2. Block time off to write posts in bulk every week. Finish posts for the next month by the 15^th of every month.

3. Have our VA schedule everything out on the 1^st of the month.

That’s it.

So, these are our goals for January. What about you? What goals have you mapped out or are aspiring to achieve? Share with us in the comments.

But first, download your handy dandy goal setting worksheet. Just one click to turn dreams into reality. No kidding.