Each year my husband and I create annual goals and we do it in the month of February. It may sound a bit strange to create annual goals the second month of the year but the reason we do is that life starts to slow down for us at this time. Why is it important to not only have goals but also to write them down? It’s because in our nature we need to feel accomplished. It’s always good to have a target and to keep yourself accountable to hit that target. After we accomplish a goal, we go back into our notebook and cross it off. There’s a feeling we get from that’s like no other. So let’s dive in on how we create our annual goals.

Do it the SMART way

Anytime you create goals, you want to do it the SMART way. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely. When my husband and I first wrote down our goals several years ago, we wrote things that were way over our heads. Then would get disappointed when we didn’t even accomplish half our list. So when I heard about SMART goals from the workplace, I began to incorporate it into our personal goals. We still have big goals and dreams, but we add them into our vision list which I will talk about in a later post. For me to go over each section of the acronym would be a disservice to you since there are so many references on how to write SMART goals. I found one for you here if you are interested.

Do it as a family

When creating goals, it’s always important that everyone in your household is on the same page. My husband and I have been creating goals since 2011. We get in a quiet place with no distractions. We do not include our kids when writing the goals down because they are young. But when we pray over our goals, they are right there with us. We plan to include them when they are older and have matured a bit.

List all your debts

Write all the debts you have from smallest to greatest. This includes your mortgage as well. Then next to the debts write the interest rates associated with each debt and the monthly payment amount. What my husband and I tend to do is look at what debts we can knock out that year. Or if the debt is high, we see if we can lower the payment by putting a good chunk of it down.

List your projects

Do you have any projects that need to be accomplished? Whether it’s a project in the house, passion projects, or a major organization project. Make sure to write it down and set a date on when you want it done. If money is involved, write the cost and get quotes. Remember don’t go over your head and also ask for help from friends and family when needed. For instance, when my husband and I are doing work in the house, we ask our sister to help watch the kids.

What you want to accomplishing at the job or your business

Do you want to attend a particular training or conference? Or how about wanting to get your business featured in a magazine? Write it down and make sure it is attainable. Maybe you are tired of your job and you’re seeking a position. Do the necessary things you have to to get set yourself up.

Look into your family life

Write down goals for your family. My husband and I set aside a day to have Bible study with our girls and pray with them. That day of the week is specifically for them with no interruptions. We also set goals on traveling with them so they can know different places, even if it’s not far from where we live. How about parents and grandparents? We set goals to spend as much quality time with them and love on them. Take their car and fill it up or clean their home. They’ve did so much for us.

Social/Friendship goals

When it comes to this life, is it better to run by yourself or is it better to run with others? Set goals on calling your high school or college friends. Set goals on making new relationships at the job site or church. Life is better together.

Health goals

For our health goals, we add any physicals or tests we have to do that year. We also evaluate if we need to lose or gain weight for the year. Maybe run a marathon or go vegan for a month. Remeber you only have one body, let’s treat it right.

Marriage goals

What would you like to accomplish in your marriage this year? Maybe a retreat or vow renewal. How about marriage counseling or a marriage meet-up? Last year my husband and I attended a marriage seminar and it was wonderful. We learned so much and had great discussions. We wrote our marriage statement and will uphold it.

Finish strong

When we finish writing our goals, we pray over it and look through it periodically throughout the year to make sure we are on track. For you, it may be placing it on your fridge or keeping it as a screen saver on your computer. It’s ok to make adjustments by adding or deleting some items on the list. If you don’t get everything done in that year, just roll it over to the next year and get it done.

Will you be writing down your goals this year?