It’s gonna be May…IYKYK. With a new month right around the corner, I wanted to share a structure that I started using last year to be more intentional about setting goals. This has helped me feel way more accomplished and confident about what I can achieve if I put my mind to it in a structured way.

This whole journey of goals planning, reflection, and regular “rituals” started for me as a way of taking the reins on my life. About a year and a half into the pandemic I remember having this awakening moment where I realized that time was whizzing by and I felt like I was stuck. Stuck in the same daily routine, not feeling like I had a clear direction of what I wanted to be doing, and just going through the motions of daily life. Couple that with a few birthdays putting me closer to 40 than 30 and I realized that I needed to do something!

I went deep into reading about goals and habits, listening to podcasts, and researching different paper planners and tools that could help guide me along the way. (Fun fact: Equestrian Fitness was dreamed out of this process!) That obsession has now been refined into this monthly ritual of practices that I’ve found work well for me. I do this towards the end of each month.

I’m going to share this in 2 parts:

• Reflecting Backward - because sometimes we need to look backward in order to move forward

• Planning Forward - because a goal without a plan is just a wish (-Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)

LET'S JUMP IN TO PART 1: REFLECTING BACKWARD

Reflecting on your monthly goals is an excellent practice for personal growth and progress. It allows you to celebrate your achievements, identify areas for improvement, and make necessary adjustments for the future.

Here are 4 steps that I follow every month to do a monthly goals reflection:

SET ASIDE A DEDICATED TIME. Choose a specific day and time each month to conduct this reflection. I put a recurring time slot on my Google calendar on the last Saturday of each month just to get it out there and then shift it around each month based on my schedule. It’s a lot harder to forget when it’s already scheduled.

ASSESS YOUR PROGRESS ON LAST MONTH'S GOALS. What did you aim to accomplish and why, what you were able to accomplish and what you weren’t. If you’re just doing this for the first time, maybe you don’t have goals written down yet. It’s still worthwhile to look back and reflect on what you accomplished or thought about doing.

CELEBRATE YOUR WINS! Wooo hoooo! You accomplished something you set out to do! Celebrating your wins can help you continue to be positive about future goals and build your self-confidence about setting and achieving new goals in the future! And it doesn’t matter how big or small it is - what matters is that you did it!

ANALYZE. Dig a little deeper into the reasons you were successful or not.

What went well? Are there certain practices that contributed to your success and helped you reach your goal? Did you plan really well? Have the right support? Have clear actions to take? By understanding what contributed to your successes, you can be intentional about continuing those things going forward.

What didn’t go well? What obstacles did you encounter in achieving your goals? When you can become aware of what is preventing you from meeting your goals, you can look for ways to prepare for those obstacles for the next month. Sometimes things pop up that change our priorities - that’s ok too - life happens! Don’t beat yourself up about this - take this as a learning opportunity for what you can do better in the future.

Alright there you go! Now that you’ve taken the chance to reflect backward, you are equipped with the knowledge and awareness to put together a solid plan for next month!

Stay tuned for Part 2: Planning Forward.

ENJOY!

Court