If you had more trouble reaching your goals in 2020 than in prior years, know that you are not alone. This year was a good example of how nobody can anticipate what the future holds and that even the best plans sometimes have to be thrown out in favor of a little improvisation.
As you reflect on this year and look toward the next, remember to be kind to yourself — we all did our best with what we were given, and if you made it this far, that is worthy of celebration in and of itself. As for thinking of resolutions when the future is so uncertain, here are four tips to setting healthy, achievable goals for 2021:
1. Prioritize Your Health and Well-Being
Negativity can have a dramatic impact on your energy throughout the day, so it is important to prioritize both your mental and physical health by focusing only on what you can change. This means reflecting on everything you did accomplish this year rather than dwelling on any failures.
Remember that as the world changes, your goals and expectations should reflect that change as well. Reward yourself for everything you were able to get done and let go of any stress and negativity. This will help you refocus on making the next year better for yourself and your emotional well-being.
2. Feel Prepared by Building Good Habits
Structuring each day around good habits saves our mind from worrying about little things and gives us more room for problem-solving. Maybe set a goal to start and end each day with something you enjoy, like a cup of tea or an exercise session. You could also look for ways to incorporate breaks into your routine to ease stress, making your body and mind that much healthier. That way, the work you get done during the day gets better as your overall mood improves.
Set a goal to start and end each day with something you enjoy, like a cup of tea or an exercise session.
3. Focus on Healthy Sleep
You will not find many things more important to your health than sleep. Unfortunately, this is one of the first things out the window as soon as we encounter stress. Make it an objective in the new year to establish good sleep practices. These ensure you stay happy and healthy, resulting in better workdays and more milestones achieved.
One thing to focus on is waking up at the same time every day. This trains your body to get tired at the same time, which helps you avoid tossing and turning at night. This habit can also be established by exposing yourself to sunlight first thing in the morning — your body responds to the daylight and helps you feel more awake. Finally, avoid hitting snooze at all costs, as this prevents you from maintaining a consistent wake-up time.
Make it an objective in the new year to establish good sleep practices, helping you stay happy and healthy.
4. Download Apps to Help Your Day
There are many helpful tools you can find online to help you achieve your goals in the new year. Here is a short list of some of the apps we recommended through our blogs this year:
• ThinkUp gives you daily encouragement through positive affirmations and teaches strategies for self-improvement.
• Fabulous teaches you how to build and track good daily habits through a library of resources on meditation and building routines.
• Strides helps you write your goals every day and keeps them organized with charts and reminders.
• Talkspace lets you talk to professional mental healthcare providers about everything from stress to anxiety to self-esteem.
• Toggl tracks your working time so you can plan each day and know when to take breaks.
Never Be Too Hard on Yourself
If you start to feel discouraged, use these techniques to steer yourself back on course. Meaningful work should feel rewarding and important to you, so it can be helpful to remember why you are in the industry in the first place. Whether you find meaning in protecting families from the unexpected, setting your own working hours, or the flexibility to work from home, focus on the positive as you enter the new year. Remember, the most important thing is to keep yourself healthy — without that foundation, you will not have the strength to bring others the same peace of mind.
For more great seasonal entrepreneurship tips, read our earlier articles on running your business during the holidays and maintaining momentum during the holidays.
FFS Agents – share this post with your networks using our resources in the ABO.
