As we head into a new year, it is time to start setting goals and looking to make 2018 a great year — especially important if 2017 was not a good year for you. It is very important to look at where you want to end the year in the major areas of your life to determine what goals you want to accomplish. Obviously, if you are unemployed or homeless or both, fixing that will be your top priority.
For others, it may be getting out of debt, or getting a better job with more hours and maybe more money.
The first thing to do after making your list of goals is to break those goals down into shorter time frames. In other words, instead of just making a goal to get a better job by the end of next year, make monthly goals and then break them down further into weekly goals. By doing this, you will be much more likely to accomplish the goals you set for yourself because you are taking action on them, rather than just setting a vague goal and then forgetting about it until next December.
Another thing to do after you determine the goals you will aim for is to determine what resources you need to help you accomplish your goals. For example, if you need help getting out of debt, you will want to look into visiting one of the many nonprofit credit counseling agencies in the District. If you need to further your education, then you need to contact the admissions departments and financial-aid offices of the schools you wish to attend. If you need a job, there are many agencies that can help you find employment opportunities. There are also many agencies that focus on breaking down the barriers that may be holding you back from gaining employment, such as a criminal record. Using resources that are available to you is a critical part of accomplishing your goals. That is one reason many successful people always seem to accomplish so much: They are not afraid to research and utilize any resource they have to give them an advantage and get ahead.
If you don’t know where to begin with making a list of goals, the best thing to do is write down what you are unhappy with in your life and what different outcome you prefer for each item you list. If you feel overwhelmed or feel you have too many areas to fix, please try to find someone you trust who can sit down with you for an hour or two and help you put together a list.
When many things are going wrong in your life, the first thing to do is dedicate yourself to finding a different path to where you want your life to be. It will take some time, but focusing on your goals and trying to take some action every day or every other day, even if it is a small step, will get you closer to the goals you are aiming for.
