In Part 1 of the Monthly Goals Planning series, we talked about how to reflect on your previous month to help you set more realistic and effective goals for the upcoming month.

LET’S PROCEED WITH PART 2: PLANNING FORWARD

Planning our monthly goals is an excellent way to stay focused and achieve your desired outcomes. With all that is going on in our lives, it can be hard to find balance across all different aspects of our lives. I find that thinking through the different categories of my life and choosing my priorities helps me to minimize distractions and stay focused on what matters most.

Here are 6 steps I follow every month to do a monthly goals planning:

DEFINE YOUR TOP PRIORITIES. Consider your long-term goals, aspirations, and areas of life that require attention. Some different categories to get your mind thinking:

• Personal Growth - Learning, Development

• Health - Fitness, Nutrition, Wellness, Personal Care

• Friends

• Relationships - Family, Significant Others

• Recreation - Riding (obviously!), Travel, Other Leisure Activities

• Spirituality

• Career

• Finance

SET SMART GOALS. Set goals that follow the SMART framework to help ensure success:

• Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve. Make your goals specific and well-defined.

• Measurable: Set goals that can be measured in some way, allowing you to track your progress.

• Achievable: Ensure that your goals are realistic and attainable within the given time frame.

• Relevant: Align your goals with your overall priorities and ensure they are meaningful to you.

• Time-bound: Set a specific time frame or deadline for each goal.

BREAK THEM DOWN. Break your monthly goals into smaller, manageable tasks or milestones. This step will help you create an action plan and ensure steady progress throughout the month. Assign deadlines or target dates for each task or milestone to keep yourself accountable.

WRITE THEM DOWN. Writing your goals down on physical paper and keeping that paper visible throughout the month increases the likelihood of you achieving them for several reasons. Seeing the list frequently keeps your mind focused on what truly matters to you. Writing them down, you are more likely to take your goals seriously and feel a greater since of commitment towards them. Seeing the clear list can help be a source of motivation - when you’re clear on what you want to do, it can inspire you to take action. Plus I will say, the sense of satisfaction I get checking something off of a physical list is just much better!

IDENTIFY OBSTACLES. Brainstorm what obstacles you may face in achieving your goals. By being aware of these and planning for them up front, you will improve your chances of success. Are there goals where you need additional knowledge? Are there goals where you may need help from others? Figure out what additional resources you may need to be successful.

PRIORITIZE AND SCHEDULE. Determine the most important tasks or milestones and prioritize them. Then, create a schedule or calendar for the month, allocating specific time slots for each task. Be realistic about the time required for each activity and avoid overloading yourself.

This may sound like a lot but I promise that spending the dedicated time to do this once at the beginning on the month will save you a bunch of time throughout the month when you may find yourself swirling about what to do next. And remember, flexibility is key. Life is unpredictable, and circumstances may change. Adapt your goals as needed, but always stay committed to your overall vision and aspirations.

Best of luck with your monthly goal planning! Let me know how it goes!

Court