3 Ways to Get Focused for 2020

Now that December is here, I’m sure many of you are thinking about what you want to accomplish in 2020. I know I am! But sometimes in the excitement of goal-setting, you can start to feel like you’re spinning in circles with too many goals, or even goals that conflict with each other. Trust me when I say you’re not the only one who feels that way. It’s very common, and you can help solve the problem.

Here are three things you can do when you’re overwhelmed with goals:

1. Look for overlaps. Sometimes there is a natural and logical relationship between goals. Suppose you want to get healthier and have more leisure time. Making time out for active leisure like tennis or running will accomplish both goals at once. Sometimes two goals seem to be in direct opposition to each other, like wanting to travel and having more time at home. In this case, write out both goals and next to each of them write out why you want to do each of them. You might find that what you want is to be away from work. In this case, your real goal might be to change careers. Or, you might discover that you can satisfy your desire for travel with a short vacation or a long drive with the family. Get to the essence of the goal, and they’ll work themselves out.

2. Make the time. We tell ourselves there are “only so many hours in a day,” and that we’re “too busy” to take on anything else right now. Your time is precisely that – yours. Instead of saying “I don’t have time to learn a new language,” try saying, “I’m not making time to learn a new language.” Stop doing things that aren’t moving you towards your goals. We find the time for the things that matter.

3. Be flexible. It’s a good thing to put a timeline together and have definite dates and time-sensitive goals. But remember that life happens, and sometimes it gets in the way of what we want to achieve. There is an ancient Greek saying that goes: “If you want to make the gods laugh, tell them your plans.” Having milestones and plotting points along the timeline is good, but don’t hold yourself to it so rigidly that you cannot adapt to the occasional curve ball. That’s why it’s important to do a progress check on your goals regularly, so when things don’t go to plan you can make the necessary adjustments and get back on track.

If it feels to you like you have too many goals or if the ones you do have are fighting each other, then find the essence of each one. That will help you determine what’s most important to you right now.

Some of the most important components of my Unlock Your Potential Planner system are setting your annual goals and doing quarterly progress checks. Before you set your goals for 2020, you’ll complete the Wheel of Life exercise to help you determine specific areas that require your attention and focus. Then, you’ll use the results to set your annual goals in key areas. Get started setting your goals for 2020 now with your very own Unlock Your Potential Planner at http://unlockyourpotentialplanner.com.