Goal Setting Tips & November Goals
I want to do things a bit differently for this monthly goals post. I think this post can easily become more of a conversation and less of a personal diary. So this month, I want to walk you through my own process of goal setting and help you set some of your own. We all know that keeping goals becomes SO much easier when you have someone to hold you accountable, and I’m here to help!
Reflect in Writing
The first step I take is to look back. I like to acknowledge the progress I’ve made on last month’s goals. This is not something I was able to do until I actually started cementing those monthly goals in writing. Keeping some sort of journal, notes on your phone, a list on your calendar, or even a blog is a great way to do this.
The reason reflection is so powerful is because it allows you to adjust on a monthly basis to make sure you stay on track. It also gives you a huge boost of confidence when you realize that you’ve accomplished something that you set out to do, even just a month ago. This confidence helps you build momentum for the month ahead.
Think Big Picture
Whenever I start to write my monthly goals, I like to think about the bigger picture things I want for myself and my life. This helps me pinpoint things that I’m excited about and want to pursue. Let’s say a big picture theme for my month is to feel better about my body. This is the passion that I’ve pinpointed, and that passion is what gives me the energy to accomplish the smaller details and reach my goal.
When thinking about the big picture, it’s important to think positively. If you’re focusing a lot of energy on a negative feeling or something you don’t want to happen, that’s fueling fear, not passion. Fear prevents us from taking action. Notice how I focused on wanting to ‘feel better about my body’ rather than wanting to ‘loose weight’ or ‘stop being lazy’. If you focus on helping yourself, then your goals won’t seem like an unrealistic standard to adhere to but a way to push yourself and improve yourself.
Hone in on the Details
Once I have the big picture in mind, I like to break that down into measurable tasks that I can realistically achieve. In my personal experience, and as evident in my monthly posts, the fewer bullet list items the better. I think it’s important not to break a goal down into hundreds of tiny tasks. While this may seem more manageable, what I’ve found is that it’s harder to get through that mile long list. I prefer that my posts are beefy enough that I can work at them for the entirety of the month, and that I can keep track of. Attaching a number to your goal makes it a lot easier to track your progress.
Strike a Balance
My last tip is to make sure that your goals are reflective of more than one aspect of your life. If you’re a very career-oriented person, maybe challenge yourself in your self care routine. This is important to pinpoint a few aspects of your life that bring you joy so that you’re not becoming so focused on one aspect. Your situation can change at any time so keeping a balance will help you when things get tough in one area of your life.
My November Goals
Last month one of my goals was to update my Shop page. When I started working on this , I realized that this goal entailed a whole different approach to my blogging routine. With this came a website refresh and I couldn’t be happier with the results! So I’m bringing that momentum into my November goal setting.
More Capsule Wardrobe Tips & Inspiration. I really love making my Capsule Wardrobe videos and blog series and I definitely want to continue this through November. I want to expand the type of content I do around Capsule Wardrobes to include styling videos, brands for quality basics, and more. If you’e enjoying this type of content, please let me know what you’d like to see in the near future.
Experiment with Photography. I am so inspired by the beautiful photography that some Instagrammers and Bloggers create and I really want to experiment with my own photos. I actually studied photography in school so I’ve always had the passion but I think it will be a fun challenge to figure out how to do this in the context of fashion photos.
Read A Good Girl-Bossing Book. So many bloggers and entrepreneurs are writing books these days and I absolutely love it. I’m itching to read something that will give me a fresh outlook on this whole life online that I’ve created. What better way than to consult with someone who has been there before and is willing to offer up invaluable and hard-won advice. I’ll also be doing some traveling soon and there’s nothing I enjoy more than a fresh and fun read for the plane. A few books I have in mind: The Multi-Hyphen Method by Emma Gannon, You Are A Badass and You Are A Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero, and The Financial Diet by Chelsea Fagan.
So there you have it, my monthly goals and some tips for setting your own. I’d love to hear what you’re planning to accomplish this month. Please leave a comment below to let me know what you have planned. As always, thanks so much for reading! xx Jessica