4 Keys to Accomplishing All Your Goals This Year

Are you still reflecting on all of the goals that you didn’t accomplish last year? Are you still trying to decide what goals to set for this year? These 4 tips can help you accomplish all your goals this year and build a life you love! Free printables included!

Welcome to January! The worldwide month to remember all the goals we didn’t accomplish last year, and meditate on new goals in hopes of accomplishing them all this year. Are you still reflecting on all of the goals that you didn’t accomplish last year? Are you still trying to decide what goals to set for this year? Do you ever feel overwhelmed by goal setting? Does setting S.M.A.R.T. goals just not work for you?

Well, in this post we hope to help you set your goals to support yourself instead of cause you to strive and stress. To live abundantly, we should be continuously growing and moving forward in all areas of our lives. These tips can help you in accomplishing all your goals this year. But there is a catch, you actually have to try them!

Why didn’t we accomplish all of our goals last year?

There are many possible reasons why we didn’t accomplish all of our goals last year. Some of these reasons are completely out of our control like job loss, loss of a loved one, illness, rising prices, etc. While other reasons may have been in our control like setting too many goals, not having a vision or purpose, inactivity, lack of discipline, lack of passion, etc. Whether in our control or not, being stagnant can make us feel like we are stuck. Then, when we find ourselves in this rut, it makes us question our abilities, our goals, our roles, and even our worth. We can feel defeated, and sometimes we let our “failures” make us decide to quit altogether.

Have you ever been there? I have. Early in my motherhood, I had my babies back to back to back. I had already felt like my life had totally changed after one. I put all my dreams aside to invest my time and energy into a new calling of becoming a godly stay at home mom. But that didn’t come easy. Learning to sacrifice everything for someone else is tough. I probably didn’t have to let go of all of my passions, but I did. And that left me feeling very lost and stuck. It was difficult to know how to enjoy this new season of motherhood without using and growing my passions. I was inactive, lacking discipline, lacking passion, losing focus of what matters, and feeling like I was stuck in a rut.

A New Perspective

After my first few years of motherhood with 3 children ages 3 and under, and another one on the way, I was exhausted and unfulfilled. Life looked nothing like I imagined it would. Marriage wasn’t like the movies, and being a mom definitely was not like playing house as a kid. I had not earned that Music Master’s degree that I had always said I would. So now, I had unmet goals to grieve, and I had to learn to move forward. I prayed, and looked for answers. After many months, it finally clicked.

The realization was that I am not able to change every situation I am in, nor can I control the behavior of those around me. But I can control my behaviors, habits, attitudes, and reactions. I also realized that how many goals I met, or did not meet, did not define me or my worth. This new perspective motivated me to find a way to start making progress towards a life full of purpose. I started researching goal setting, homemaking, routines, and seeking a way to stay connected to Music.

Another Challenge, Another Perspective Shift

Almost 8 years later, we now have 6 children and were called in 2021 to move from the north to the south. Over two years disconnected off of social media, and two years out of our last church home. We were what I call “hyperactively” serving, hard and faithfully, for about 6 years. This sudden division and big move was a time that I viewed as a blessing and a grieving separation all at once. But God proved it to be a time of living set apart. A time to grieve and a time to heal. A time to allow God to reset, refresh, refocus, and refuel me for His purpose. I remembered that I may not be in control of the call on our lives, but I can control my behaviors, habits, attitudes, and reactions.

It was in this time that we began to hear God’s voice clearly above all the noise. We were called into new callings and new beginnings. Almost all of the callings were things we had never done before. Mixed feelings of excitement and fear, yet unexplainable peace and joy. But how were we going to accomplish all these things?

clipboard with January calendar to write goals, clock, and a pair of glasses on a white counter

The Keys to Accomplishing All Your Goals This Year

We started many of the new callings and goals that looked nothing like we ever imagined. And here I sat at the end of 2022, and for the first time, I was not defeated or overwhelmed by unmet goals. Instead, I was able to look back at all the beautiful progress that was made, one step at a time.

Instead of settling for another year of unsatisfying ruts and unmet goals, anyone can make a few changes to improve. Improving can help us build a life we love! We can live a more abundant life full of joy, peace, purpose, and passion. Today, we want to encourage you to make simple, positive changes to get to where you want to be. Our hope is that at the end of this year, you can look back and see all the beautiful progress that you made. We want to help you take the first step towards accomplishing your goals. Let’s work not just to stay afloat, but let us thrive and go to new places!

We’ve included a printable worksheet below that you can fill out as you follow along. Just click the picture to download, and print it out!

1. Know the Purpose and the Vision.

How can we get somewhere if we don’t know where we are going and why? The very first step to creating any goal, is to have a purpose and vision in mind. Not so much a place of arrival, or just a place of accomplishment, but a purpose. We make many life goals a place of arrival or an achievement, when life’s goals should be more about a continuous purpose. We achieve something, but then we don’t know what to do next. Achieving something feels great at first, but then wears off and leaves us unfulfilled.

When we live our life with a vision and purpose in mind, it is a continuous adventure to live out. The purpose helps give clear cut goals that you can take one step at a time. And at the end of your life, you can look back at all the many ways that you lived out purpose and vision.

For example, a goal could be getting a Master’s degree in Music Composition and Production. But, then what? A purpose with vision takes us further, and is something we live out. A purpose instead could be writing and producing worship music to further God’s Kingdom. That isn’t a destination to arrive at, or an achievement. That is a purpose continuously lived for, and as long as your are taking steps in your purposes, you ARE fulfilling your life goals. The first key to accomplishing all your goals this year is to know the purpose and the vision for each area of your life.

Examples:

Some goals might look like:

I want to lose weight.
I want to get out of debt.
I want to get more organized.
I want to be happier.

Big purpose and vision looks more like:

Living healthier and feeling more energetic to live out my purpose in…
Managing and stewarding money well so I can give to others out of abundance
Becoming more disciplined to carry out God’s will
Gaining intimacy with the Father by allowing Him to regularly reset, refresh, and refuel me

These are all just examples, of course, to counter the “I want to” statements above. To turn those vague goals into visions with purpose that will keep us moving forward. Think about the purpose and vision for every area of your life. When we have a purpose and vision behind what we are doing, we are more motivated to get started and actually keep going.

Action Step

Take some time to pray and think about each area of your life. What is God calling you to do? Where do your priorities lie? What are your passions? And how can you live out your priorities and your passions with purpose? And I mean a purpose far greater than just achieving something or arriving somewhere. You can just jot it all down on paper or a bullet journal. If you want a simple, but pretty vision board to write your vision and purpose for each area, we’ve created this printable pack with multiple pages for you to use! Just click the picture to download, and print it out!

2. Stop setting too many goals.

One of the biggest reasons we fail to accomplish all our goals each year is simply because we set too many goals! One way we stop setting too many goals, is by changing our perspective. We can choose to keep reaching for perfection in every area of our lives, mapping out the entire road of goals to reach in each area. Or, we can live with more peace by giving ourselves grace, focusing on our purpose and vision one step or goal at a time.

Having the purpose and vision in mind allows you to know your direction without planning the whole road right now. Because, let’s face it. God is in control, and we are not. That road may change along the way, your vision may take a new shape, or a calling may not be for an entire season altogether.

A few years ago, I was very involved in serving as a worship leader over the team with a couple others. If I would have written a “ten year plan”, I may have written a road map of goals to write and record an album, and tour with that church. That was the direction many of us thought we were headed. But as I shared before, our lives came to halt when God called us out of that church, out of those callings, out of that state, and into brand new callings for a new season. The second key to accomplishing all your goals this year is to stop setting too many goals.

Action Step

Taking the time to always create a whole road of goals for each area is time consuming and overwhelming. But if it works for you already, then do it! Often times, we can’t complete the road of goals we set for even one year. But focusing on a purpose and vision, and taking it one step at a time, takes less time, isn’t overwhelming, and keeps you focused. When we have too many goals on a road map, we can get overwhelmed and can lose focus trying to accomplish too many things at once. Or we face feelings of defeat and failure if we don’t accomplish them, or the road changes. Instead of creating a whole road, why not try brain dumping your ideas and saving them for when you are choosing your next steps?

Maybe you will even discover goals or ideas that need to be set aside for a season. If we just pick our very next step, our road is more clear, we stay focused, and we actual move faster towards our big picture vision. Are you ready to stop setting too many goals and start accomplishing all your goals this year?

Sometimes we feel like we're crawling when we want to be leaping, but at least we are still going forward

3. Choose Your Very Next Step.

Now that you know the purpose and the vision for each area of your life, and you have decided to try not to set too many goals, it’s time to choose your very next step. Remember, it is about progress, not perfection. If you are obeying God, doing what matters in life, and making progress, then you don’t have to stress so much. Sometimes we feel like we’re crawling when we want to be leaping, but at least we are still going forward.

Rather than thinking we have so much to do, or so many unmet goals, we might feel more satisfied and find grace at the end of each day when we know that we have made progress. We must have that gracious perspective to make a change and move towards our goals.

To live abundantly, we should consult God on our next steps, because He already knows our whole story. He knows the whole road map to where He wants to take us, so we don’t have to worry about that. I like to start praying over the area of my life I am most unhappy or unfulfilled in. The area that would bring more peace and joy to my life if I improve it. You can start wherever you feel God is leading. The third key to accomplishing all your goals this year is to choose your very next step.

Examples:

Here’s a real example from our homestead. Under our Gardening category, we have a vision to continue expanding each and every season. Where we are right now is two gardens, currently protected by a greenhouse for winter. The last big project was putting up the greenhouse for winter, but the last step was simply tending the winter garden. We could have a few choices for our next step.

The next step could be harvesting or starting seeds for Spring. However, we are not quite ready to do either of those things. We have some time. So, in line with our vision of expanding, we are preparing to build three more garden spaces. But to stay focused and not overwhelmed, our very next step is purchasing the items for building the garden spaces. That’s it! We will choose the next step after that.

Action Step

So after prayer and understanding the vision, here are some questions to ask yourself about each area:

What are some things that seem like logical next steps?
Where are you now? What was the last step you accomplished in each area?
Which of those logical steps can you do right now? (Financially possible, realistic, moves towards the vision, etc)
If one of those steps has two or more parts, then you have two or more steps. Which is the first step? The VERY next step?

accomplishing goals with a monthly planner, open blank page notebook, and a green notebook, with a plant on a white desk

4. Just Get Started!

If we want something in our lives to change, then we need to make a change. Change requires action. We can’t keep sitting around daydreaming about how nice it would be if we could just reach this goal or that. We aren’t going to get anywhere if we don’t just get started in the first place.

Let’s stop dreaming “I want to…” because we totally can make it reality! But, we need to know the big purpose and vision, stop setting too many goals, choose our very next step, and just get started! The fourth and final key to accomplishing all your goals this year is to just get started!

Examples:

If our rut is health and fitness, we can just start moving, or start one healthy eating habit. We can find an accountability partner or group to set ourselves up for success. We don’t have to do it alone!

If it is debt, organization, or time management that has you in a rut, do some research! Find a resource, program, course, or even printables to help get you started.

If you are wanting to make more money, what can you do to reach your goals? Commit to working harder? Find a new job? Start a side business?

Is it your spiritual growth that you feel complacent in? Find an app, a Bible study resource, a group, wake up earlier, follow a ministry, and dive in!

If it is growing in homesteading, gardening, or homeschooling, find resources! Write down your questions and start searching! Pick your focus, and just take the very first step.

Action Step (Resources Listed at the end of post)

Questions to ask yourself: Comment below and let us know your answers!

What type of rut are you in?
What change do you need to live more abundantly? (waking up earlier to be more productive, more quiet time with God, eat to support your body and energy, just take the first step, fix a relationship, find accountability etc)
Do you have resources?
What is holding you back?

Start Accomplishing All Your Goals this Year

Whatever you need to change to get out of your rut, just get started. Don’t get overwhelmed by thinking of the whole string of goals to accomplish. Just focus on your very next step, and do that. Make it a priority, commit, and take the first step to making a change. You don’t have to take ten steps right now, just one. One step at a time, one day at a time. Then, think on the next step when you get there.

Wherever you are in your life right now, will not miraculously change in a day. So if you are unhappy with how many goals go unaccomplished from year to year, you must become intentional and make some sort of change. The keys to accomplishing all your goals this year are to:

Know the purpose and the vision.
Stop setting too many goals.
Choose your very next step.
Just get started!

Let’s stop settling for mediocre when God created us to glorify Him in everything we do! Start reaching for an abundant life full of joy, peace, purpose, and passion. We hope and pray that this inspired you, and helped you learn some tips to accomplishing all your goals this year. Leave us a comment below, and let us know what helped! For more FREE printables, inspiration, and more, fill out the form below!

Build a life you love by building up your home, and live abundantly!