Last week I shared my #TakeBack2016 items: a retrospective and an attempt to find the good that happened in 2016, rather than focusing on all the bad. I also mentioned that I had created a list of goals I want to achieve in 2017, but saved them for another post. Well, here, as promised, is that post: My 2017 Goals.
To clarify, these are actually goals for the first half of 2017, which I hope to accomplish by July. I found it difficult to write any goals at first, because of what I said in my last post: 2016 ended up being such a horrible year, and I felt disappointed that I missed so many of the goals I set last year. So the idea of doing it again this year was not appealing. But I ultimately felt it was important to get back out there, name some items, and hopefully get back on track. Maybe declaring these items in a public forum again will help me get energized to work toward them again.
I’m also choosing fewer goals than last year, and not just because of the shorter time frame. I’m inspired by a great group of women I meet and email with, who help keep each other accountable during the year. They’re my Accountabilibuddies, and we check in with each other at the beginning and end of each week to see how we did. We each set our individual goals for the week on Sunday, in an email with the subject “Say It Sunday [date],” and then the following Sunday we provide our “Feedback,” and check off all that we achieved. The latter email was initially “Feedback Friday,” but too many of us felt we needed the weekend to get more done.
I love this group. Yes, sometimes I spend too much time on the emails, and I doubt my colleagues read everything I write in them (and I don’t blame them), but I’ve found it so immensely helpful. Knowing that I need to report back to them at the end of the week motivates me to get as much done as I possibly can. Making the lists also helps me in two ways: a) it forces me to think smaller, to create bite-size goals that are specific and hopefully achievable in the short time, and b) it forces me to prioritize, at least a little.
Since I tend to go overboard with very lengthy lists, my ‘Buddies encourage me to keep my lists to a minimum. True, it doesn’t always work, and I’ll still create lists with some 12 to 16 items (plus subitems) in a week, but at least I try. I know that it’s probably too much for one week, but that I’m aiming high.
That idea was immensely helpful when putting together these 2017 Goals. I tend to write down as many items as I can think of, but another ‘Buddy pointed out that it can be very difficult to accomplish just two or three items. So we decided to focus and prioritize, and limit our lists to five. Of course, given that, I still added a sixth one, because I thought it might be relatively easy and less time-consuming to accomplish. I guess we’ll see.
So without further delay, here they are.
My 2017 Goals:
1. Write the book chapter I agreed to last year (due May 1)
2. Finish revamping my website: decide fully what I want to achieve with it, and get it done (including the portfolio)!
3. Get my new First Friday Dance Series up and running
4. Finish at least one video project I’m working on.
5. Get down to Inbox 0. I admit this is really unimportant in the grand scheme, but I want to do it. We’ll see if it happens.
And No. 6: Notarize our wills. (We made our wills last year, but they’re not signed or notarized.)
So I think these should hopefully be achievable. And my ‘Buddies and I have agreed to meet again in July to see how we’re doing with them. Knowing they’re out there cheering for me and holding me accountable is a huge motivation.
What does your 2017 look like? What do you hope to accomplish? And do you have your own group or Buddy that keeps you accountable?
