This time of the year I always get emotional. I think about all the blessings that God has given me and I also think about my family in Brazil and how I miss them. This is also the time when I think about what I’ve accomplished and what I haven’t, so I like to sit down and write attainable goals for the New Year, 2017 in this case. I like to write realistic goals that can actually be accomplished. I look back at this whole past year and write down the things that I need to improve in general, and the things that I didn’t do but I said I would.

In case you are wondering what my goals are for 2017…

Some of my goals for the new year: I want to cook more and eat healthier. I want to grow my audience on Instagram by 65k. I want to attend church at least twice a month. I want to be more organized and use an agenda every day to write things down. I also want to get better at taking pictures and using Adobe Lightroom.

When you put a number to your goal it makes it more attainable. For example, achieve 65k on Instagram by the first week of December. Or, drink 6 cups of water every day. Instead of: drink more water and grow Instagram followers.

Here are some tips for setting goals for the new year:

Create a list, similar to the one bellow, with things that you want to improve/ change in your life.

Body: Exercise, weight loss, healthy habits, yoga.

Family: Relationships, children, friends.

Personal Development: Education, reading, career change, learn a new skill.

Home: Organizing, cleaning, cooking.

Finance: How to save money and how to spend less.

Hobby:  join an exercise class, read, and watch a movie.

Job: Find a new job or work towards a promotion.

These are a few of the most common things to think about when setting your goals. You can write your own or add to this list. The next step is to add the steps that you need to take to achieve your goals. It could be that you need to wake up earlier to do so and so or plan your meals in order to eat healthier. What steps are you going to take to make the change and achieve that goal that you so want to accomplish?

The next step is to set a time, a deadline. This will help if you are a procrastinator. It’s very helpful to write goals and deadlines on a calendar or agenda as a reminder.

If you have a dream you want to accomplish in the near future, write that down! That’s your reminder of what you are fighting for.

The last thing I like to do is have a collection of positive and motivational phrases that I can look at when I feel like I am “drowning.” I tend to save a lot of those kinds of phrases on Pinterest so I can look at them anytime I want.

I hope every each one of you have an amazing new year and that you all fight for your dreams!

PS: I found this 2017 Planner at TJ.Maxx and it was only 7 dollars. That’s a great place to buy an inexpensive planner. They had tons of options, from smaller to big thick planners.

Love,

Gabrielle