5 Ways You Can Start Planning For 2020 Right Now

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The end of one decade and the beginning of another—the perfect opportunity for a fresh start. It won’t be long before small talk and our social media feeds become filled with all things New Year’s resolutions.

This year has been challenging for many of us. You’re probably already thinking of how you want to make 2020 THE year. YOUR year. Maybe it’s fitness, education, career, or social goals you have. Regardless, to make the intentions you have stick, there are a few steps you need to take.

1. Set yourself a sensible number of intentions to implement in the new year.

It’s all well and good writing pages and pages of New Year’s resolutions, signing up to a gym, or scheduling many brand new things in your diary. But how many of those will you really stick to?

Aim high, of course, but be sure not to overwhelm yourself with a million things at once and risk the physical or mental inability to reach those goals. Figure out what you’d like to prioritize and really focus on for the next year.

2. Give each goal or intention a “why”.

Without a strong “why” behind attaining a goal, it’ll be much easier to ditch the task at hand once January motivation wears off. Take some time to discover WHY you’re setting that goal or making that change in your life.

Make a mental or physical note to come back to when you resort back to old ways or simply fall into a “what’s the point?” trap. The motivation behind WHY you want to do something is what will carry you through if you want it that badly.

3. Why hasn’t this worked out before? Are there any challenges ahead?

If you’re anything like me, you’re setting a goal you’ve tried to stick to in the past. This could be self-love/care, physical well-being, or something else. As challenging as it may be, the only way to face what obstacles may be ahead is to face what’s gone wrong in the past. What worked and what didn’t? How can you use a different approach this time?

4. Start planning how you aim to reach that goal!

For a goal to be met, it’s advisable to set out a plan or even baby steps to ensure you’re doing all you can. Baby steps also allow the task to become less daunting and more achievable — if you want to get really organized, you can set mini targets per goal and/or deadlines. This is optional, of course.

5. Don’t wait for the 1st of January.

December is a time mostly filled with Christmas to-do’s and family get togethers — a busy time for many of us. But there’s nothing stopping you from making a small start now. And, the earlier you start, the more likely you are to stick to it come January 2020.

Even if all you do is begin planning, you’ll get your own head start for the new year and a sense of accomplishment to nicely end the decade.