How to Achieve Your Goals in 2023 to Make It the Best Year of Your Life
As crazy as it seems, another year has come and gone just like that… which can only mean one thing:
It’s time for another year of setting generic resolutions that you’ll probably give up on within the first two weeks of January (hey, am I wrong?).
Look, I’ve been there. We all have. But if you actually want to achieve your goals in 2023, if you actually want to work toward the things you’ve always wanted to do, you need the right system in place.
Yes, a system. Not just a general “I want to get in shape this year” statement with no idea how you’re going to get there.
So if you want to accomplish your goals in 2023 and make this year the best year of your life, here’s everything you need to know.
Why Should You Set Goals for 2023?
We’ve all heard it before: “Failing to plan simply means you’re planning to fail.”
Now while I don’t completely agree with that statement, it does have some value to it.
Because here’s the thing, we all have dreams and aspirations in life. But for most of us, they’re just a distant goal that we’ll get around to “someday.” Which if we’re being honest with ourselves, essentially means we’ll never get around to them.
So why exactly should you set goals for 2023?
Well, if you have even the slightest intention of achieving your dreams someday, you absolutely must have goals and steps in place to get there. You have to have a plan and a roadmap of how you’re going to accomplish those dreams.
What do you want the new year to look like? What’s everything you want to accomplish and do this year?
Setting goals for yourself helps you grow into the person you want to become and allows you the opportunity to focus on the things you most want to achieve in life.
But most importantly, they give you something to work toward and ultimately lead to a more fulfilling life. And what better time to set goals than the start of a new year!?
“New year, new me” as they always say 💁🏼♂️
The Problem With New Year’s Resolutions
While goals and resolutions can often go hand-in-hand, there’s a big difference between the two.
Resolutions are a broad statement of what you want to change. Goals, on the other hand, are the actual steps you must take to achieve those resolutions.
And that, my friend, is where the problem lies.
Most people make big, overarching resolutions without actually setting goals for how or why they’re going to achieve them.
Which is the exact reason it’s so important to set goals for yourself and not just resolutions. It’s important to break things down into much smaller steps so you have a plan in place to work toward the things you want to accomplish.
Because the thing is, it’s not just enough to say:
“This year, I’ll get in shape and work out more” or “This year, I’m going to travel the world.”
They’re both missing the level of specificity you need to actually start working toward those things.
How exactly are you going to get in shape? What does that look like to you? How are you going to travel the world? What countries will you visit? How are you going to afford it? But most importantly, why do you want to do those things?
Without getting into the specific details, you’ll never achieve your goals.
That’s why you need a step-by-step process for how you’re going to set and achieve your goals this year.
How to Achieve Your Goals in 2023
A few weeks ago, I sat down and wrote out everything I want to accomplish in 2023. And when I say everything, I mean everything (remember, you need to get specific!). There’s a mantra I’ve been repeating to myself over and over again:
This is my year for the taking. This is my year for the taking. This is my year for the taking.
But how will I ensure that? How will I actively work to achieve all my goals this year?
Well, I created a plan… and I want you to steal it.
Identify What You Want to Accomplish
The truth is, it’s impossible to change if you don’t even know what you want to change.
So the first step to achieving your goals this year is to identify exactly what you want to accomplish.
Identify and write down your Point A – aka, where you currently are in life. Then identify and write down your Point Z – aka, where you ultimately want to be and what you want to accomplish.
Remember, it’s absolutely crucial to get into the nitty-gritty details here.
What exactly does Point Z look like to you? How will it make you feel once you get there? How will your life be different once you get there and what will you be doing?
Get as specific as possible and don’t hold back on any of the details. After all, these are your goals and your future. What do you want it to look like?
After you’ve visualized and written down all the details of what your life will look like once you get from Point A to Point Z, it’s time to move on to the next phase of the plan…
Write Down Your Big Why
The reality is, if you want to accomplish anything in life you must have a reason for doing so.
If not? Well, you probably won’t ever accomplish it (truth hurts).
Whether it’s waking up to go to your job everyday, working toward your dream of building that business, or simply just showing up each day and providing for your kids, none of these things will happen if you don’t have a big reason why.
Whatever your goals are for the upcoming year, if you don’t have a reason why you want to accomplish them, you’re setting yourself up for failure before you even get started.
So if there’s only one thing you get out of this article, let it be this:
You absolutely, positively, must write down exactly why you want to achieve your desired goals in life or you won’t ever achieve them.
Read that again because it’s important.
Writing out your why is an extremely powerful thing. It doesn’t matter if it’s written in a journal, on your computer, or frantically typed in your iPhone notes app. Just promise me you’ll think about why you want to achieve your goals and then write it out, okay?
Because having a purpose – having a why in life – is the single greatest thing that will push you to grow, work toward your goals, and live the life of your dreams.
Alright, once you have your big why written down, it’s time to break things down. 🕺🏼
Break It Down Into the How
You’ve identified what you want to accomplish and you’ve written down exactly why you want to accomplish those things. Now all that’s left to do is to break your goals down into smaller steps.
Because how in the world are you going to accomplish those massive goals you’ve set for yourself?!
Look, I know the feeling of thinking about my own goals and asking myself the same question. It can be intimidating as hell. So what’s my recommendation?
Just take things one step at a time.
It’s not just enough to want to, let’s say… work out more in 2023. Because you won’t ever work out more if you don’t know exactly how you’re going to tackle that goal. If you don’t have an exact plan in place.
So look at each of your goals and take a few minutes to think about how you’re going to get from Point A (where you currently are) to Point Z (where you want to be).
And just remember, the more you break things down the better.
If your goal is to get in shape and work out more during the new year, what are the exact steps you need to take to get there? Well, let’s look at a few of the most common ways you can do that:
- Go to the gym and lift weights three times a week
- Eat clean 80% of the time
- Track your progress
Now, this is already much better than where you started because it’s quantifiable. You have a much clearer picture of how you’re going to achieve your big goal of getting in shape.
But you can still take things one step further and break each of these buckets down even more:
- Lift weights three times a week → What days will you go to the gym? What will your workout routine look like? How heavy of weights will you start with and what exercises will you do?
- Eat clean 80% of the time → What will your diet look like? Will you meal prep? If so, what days? How many calories or grams of protein are you aiming for?
- Track progress → What does progress look like to you? Will you set weekly goals? How will you determine if you’ve achieved those goals?
I know this example may not apply to you. We all have different goals for 2023. But are you starting to get a much clearer picture of how you can use this method to achieve your goals in the new year? I sure hope so.
Now let’s move onto the final (and easiest) step of this entire thing.
Set a Timeline of When You Want to Achieve Your Goals
At this point, you’re already 98% of the way to achieving your goals in 2023. Now the final step is to simply create a timeline.
Because if you don’t have a deadline of when you plan to accomplish your goals, like all the other steps outlined above, it likely will never happen.
Luckily, this part is pretty self-explanatory.
For most goals, the end of 2023 will be your target date. But for others, you might already have a specific date in mind.
Let’s look at another example, shall we?
If you wanted to have enough money to travel to Europe by the end of the summer, you would know that you have until August 31, 2023 to accomplish all your individual, smaller steps so that you could save enough money to travel.
So look at each of your goals, review all the smaller steps you need to take, and write a date next to each. This is your deadline for taking action.
If you meet all those individual steps by the deadline you wrote down, it’s nearly impossible to fail.
Anddddd congrats, you now have a complete plan in place to achieve all your goals this year!
2023 is Ours For the Taking
And there you have it. A clear and detailed path to get from Point A to Point Z.
You now know exactly how you’re going to achieve your goals in 2023.
I’ve already decided that this year is going to be the best year of my life. It’s mine for the taking and nothing can stand in my way.
And now that you have a clear path and know exactly when, why, and how you’re going to achieve your goals, 2023 will be the best year of your life, too.
So get out there and start turning your dreams into reality!
If you like to share your goals with others, let me know in the comments what your biggest goal is for 2023 and how you plan to get there! Let’s hold each other accountable and make sure this year is our best one yet 💪🏼
Transcendental Dreamer is a clothing brand on a mission to inspire as many people as we can to live out their dreams in life. If you want to shop our inspirational hoodies and other apparel, check out our site!
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