With the majority of the holiday insanity behind us, it's time to shift focus to setting goals for the new year. The limbo time between Christmas and New Year's when you don't know what day it is or how many cookies you've eaten is the perfect time to sneak away for a couple hours and plan your best year.

Dr. Laurie Santos, a researcher at Yale University, found that setting goals is a proven way to boost well-being. It's good for your health to set goals!

Achieving goals is a great feeling too. You stand a better chance of achieving your goals when you really develop them effectively from the start. So let's take a look at common mistakes to avoid when setting goals so you can generate powerful goals for 2024. 

Avoid These 6 Mistakes When Setting Goals

1. Not identifying why it's important to you. If you set goals based on what you think you "should" do, your goals are being dictated by societal expectations. They don't have deep meaning to you. So you likely won't be motivated...

I recently read the book, I Heart Me - The Science of Self-Love by David Hamilton. Inside, it says that you can't truly be authentic if you can't be vulnerable. Man, that hit me hard.

How can you be real if you're hiding parts of your story? Those experiences have shaped who you are.

We all want to be accepted so we mold ourselves to fit what we think society wants from us. We assume that our negative experiences are unique. And we lock away anything that might make us seem vulnerable.

As a recovering perfectionist, it's taken me years of personal development work to show my vulnerable side. When I started working with my life and business coach 5 years ago, I would only discuss business. No personal stuff. No emotions.

Any topic that might trigger tears was 100% unacceptable in my mind. Crying meant you're weak/incapable. Yet I had hired my coach after experiencing a huge financial loss and business setback. There were definitely emotions that needed to be address, but I would not...

You know that feeling of warm sunshine on your bare skin?  That little bit of warmth is an instant mood boost.  Animals seek the joy of sunshine too...

My dog


 

A lemur at a zoo we visited (eyes closed, soaking it all in:)


Sunshine is renewable positive energy. 

As an introverted small business owner, staying positive when things get hard is challenging.  Especially if you don't have a team around you to share and connect with.  So, soaking up all positive energy is important for preventing stuckness, procrastination, and burnout.

Yet, we tend to deflect positive energy even though it feels good and is needed.  Did someone give you a compliment or show appreciation that you didn't fully receive?  Like this example:

Friend:  I love the outfit you're wearing!
You:  This? It's so old and faded and has a little stain.
Friend:  Well, you can't tell and it looks cute on you.
You: It's a little tight, but it was the only thing clean to...

Watch the replay of the live Peak Productivity Workshop!

Get Goals Done!

Being more productive and getting goals done all comes down to planning and preparation. Watch for 3 easy ways to organize your week so you increase your productivity.

Here are a few reasons you may not be getting all your goals done:

1. You're not writing down your "to do's."  Or if you are, it's not consistent and/or they aren't kept visible.
2. You're overestimating how much work can get done in one week's time.
3. The tasks are too big and you're overwhelmed.

The video above goes into more detail and provides solutions.

Kids are still schooling at home meaning parents are teachers too.

Politics make the headlines daily with the upcoming election.

Friends become enemies on Facebook.

Coronavirus still threatens our health....

Seesh!  It is a super stressful time to be on this Earth.

Protecting our energy and mental health is vitally important right now.  Typically, introverts will nap, read, paint, or binge-watch TV to restore energy.  In this current climate though, you may find that you need more ways to reduce stress.

This video discusses 6 additional ways to reduce stress right now.

Leave a comment below and let me know which one resonates with you:)

This year, I have fully embraced my introverted self. And I see the strengths that introverts have and use to emerge from the shadows of their minds to rise as successful entrepreneurs.

One thing that has helped me continue forward and make progress is having clarity on who I am and where my business is going.  "Clarity preceeds mastery" as Robin Sharma says.

I just started reading, "High Performance Habits," by Brendon Burchard. The first habit he talks about is Clarity. “Clarity on who you are is associated with overall self-esteem. This means that how positive you feel about yourself is tied to how well you know yourself.”

If you are an introvert embrace it!  Fighting it and wishing you could just be more extroverted will hold you back.  In fact, introversion is a trait you are born with. 

The first step to embracing your superpower:  introversion, is gaining clarity.

Steps to take for more Clarity

• At the beginning of each quarter, I do a...