The Essential Cheat Sheet To Prep For [& Own] 2019
If you’re anything like me, you might be a procrastinator, maybe you’ve been super busy, or maybe a few things from the last few months won’t be all finished and completed until the new year. Whatever the case may be, if you haven’t already made a game plan for 2019, you can still utilize January as the action-planning point to propel you into the rest of the year. Plus, while everyone else is jumping into the “New year, New me” hype and burning out quicker than I can kick my pants off at the end of a long day, you’ll be thoughtfully curating a strategic plan. Procrastinating has never served us better! ;)
If you want the cheat sheet quick, now, and in a hurry, scroll to the end where you can access it instantly. Otherwise, feel free to read through the post where I summarize what’s detailed out for you in the plan.
Reflect
Set time aside to really dive into 2018 and evaluate how things went. Examine what went poorly, what went well, what positive and negative experiences you gained or learned from, then use this information to determine your focuses moving forward.
Plan ahead
After recounting 2018 and reflecting on how the year affected you, decide on which goals you’d like to focus on for 2019. You can do this several ways. There’s no right or wrong plan. You can make one goal for the year. You can make 4 goals for the year — one for each quarter. You can have different focuses or themes for each month. It’s really up to you; however, be warned that with more goals, the more difficult it becomes to devote your attention to each individual one.
In order to successfully work towards your goals, you MUST put systems in place to help forge focus and longevity. I go into much greater detail in the cheat sheet so make sure you download it, but here’s a quick summary of a few recommendations:
• Buy a planner: I’m a writer and a visual thinker. I make lists, scribble down ideas, and love crossing things off. A planner is ideal for me for several reasons - I can write it down. Having it all written out in front of me helps to declutter my brain. I can stay focused because I won’t forget anything, AND I get to cross things off. :) Maybe an app, sticky notes, a calendar, or something else may be helpful for you. Find your vice, and stick with it (if it works!)
• Find accountability partners (AP) or systems: AP’s are great among the fitness community. This person often times is also working toward goals, and you both commit to keep each other focused and motivated as you hustle toward your individual goals. Find your person, your group, or any other system that will keep you on task, and hit the ground running.
• Find your WHY: Focus and motivation waver! Write down WHY you want to accomplish your specific goals and visit this list appropriately whenever you’re feeling tired, discouraged, or distracted.
• Set check in dates: To help keep you on track, set check in dates so that you can monitor progress, as well as re-evaluate your goals. Sometimes things change and what was once important no longer is. And that’s ok. No need to continue on a journey that no longer serves you. So check in often.
Establish routines
It’s so important to set routines in order to establish consistency and a sense of ease in working toward your targets. Start with your ultimate goal in mind, then work backwards to find the steps needed to accomplish it. Start implementing repetition with the simplest, first step. For example, let’s say I want to finish writing a book by May. I should be writing often in order to reach that goal. My first small step could be “Commit to writing at least 10 minutes a day.” It’s a small task that I can definitely work into my day consistently and will, on average, likely lead to more than 10 minutes once I get started.
Adopt a mindfulness practice
Now you knew I had to stress the importance of creating a mindfulness practice. Creating a space to be mindful in your life has been connected to amazing psychological, emotional, and even physical benefits (like lower blood pressure!) that can only benefit you in every other aspect of your life.
If you know nothing about mindfulness, it’s really quite simple - you simply take a moment to observe the moment you’re in without harboring any judgement about the things you observe. You can practice mindful walking or mindful eating or get into things that parallel, compliment, or couple with mindfulness, like yoga or meditation. Read all about mindfulness here, and get into that shit ASAP. It can be life changing.
NOW! If you want the cheat sheet, which I know you do, drop your information below and you’ll have instant access! And don’t worry, I won’t spam you or share your information. It’s top secret and safe with me.
If you find the cheat sheet helpful, do me a favor and tell a friend! Link them to this post and share the wealth!
-seria.
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*Feature photo by Cathryn Lavery on Unsplash