How to Set Goals in 2021: Practical Advice for Planning Your Year in a Global Pandemic

Soo .... it's January.

For a coach, this is the big rah-rah moment of the year:

Set goals!

Make resolutions!

Kick bad habits!

Go hard after your dreams!

Can I confess something to you though?

A couple of nights ago my husband and I had a date to sit down and make some plans for our year.

But when it came time, I couldn't do it.

Because a big part of our plans for the year is making a trip to the USA to see friends and family and my beloved Oregon (I'm so homesick for their hugs and deep green forests and misty air and wild coast that it physically hurts) -- and with all the COVID resurgences everywhere, it throws any trip-planning up in the air.

"Can we put this off a little?" I asked. "I feel like I haven't even had time to sit with myself these last couple of weeks."

He understood.

Now, last night, new restrictions were rolled out for where we live in Catalonia, and we can't even leave our town for the next 10 days.

So. Here's my advice about planning 2021, for myself, and you too, if it helps:

Go easy on yourself. As much as we'd like to say goodbye to 2020 and all its difficulties and disappointments, this next year is still likely to have its share.

Give yourself space to process these emotions and to take care of yourself in other ways that will help you through. Like good sleep, eating and exercise habits, and all the other things you do that bring you energy, light and hope.

Give yourself an overarching vision for the year and a theme (or monthly themes). This is an effective way to keep you focused on what you really want for this year, while keeping it light and manageable.

To create a simple vision statement for yourself, simply write a few paragraphs imagining it’s December 31. Describe where you are, what you're doing, what's happened and what's different. Be as specific as you can be, especially about how all this feels.

Free yourself to write this completely idealistically. No one else has to see it, and no one is going to grade you on it.

For me, what’s most important about this exercise is letting your inner desires speak and to tap into how they make you feel. When you do this, you give these ideas more life. They have more room to grow (especially unconsciously) and maybe surprise you this year!

Then, choose a theme (or let it choose you) that you can use to guide you throughout the year.

“This is the year of _____.”

“This is the month of _____.”

Extra credit is to then choose a picture, scent, talisman or other sensual reminder of your vision and/or theme that will keep it front and center for you.

Carry these energizing, inspiring feelings with you; calling them up can renew your motivation when you get down.

Lean on short-term goal setting and regular check-ins. We’re still living in a fluid and uncertain world. The balance to strike is to keep moving toward what’s most important to you while not stymying yourself with disappointment and frustration.

Sit down right now with your calendar and reserve time each month to check in on your priorities, make a list of everything you’ve accomplished so far, and set your next month’s goals. Adjust your goals to new realities; break them into small, doable steps; celebrate your progress, and repeat.

Don’t skip celebrating your progress. This is a must-have resilience habit.

Keep up your efforts to connect with others, whether virtually or safely socially distanced. It can be tempting to let these slide but they're more important than ever. We need closeness with each other to keep up our stores of love, laughter, hope and dreams for the future.

Continue to reach out, in friendship, in collaboration, in support. And to ask for all these things too, when you need it.

Remember that in 2021, you have my friendship, collaboration and support too. I’ll be rolling out new individual and group coaching opportunities this month, so keep that in mind as you start to think over your own approach to this new year.

I hope that you’ve found something useful in these tips.

Overall, I just want you to know that wherever you’re at with your plans for 2021, it’s okay. If you’re ready to jump in and go hard, yeah, do it! If you need to take more time and find a gentle way in, that’s beautiful too.

Follow your own flow.

Last night, as I laid awake in bed fretting about the new COVID-19 restrictions for our area, my theme for 2021, or January, or whatever, came to me:

Creative.

I’d just bought a sewing machine because I was missing the one I had back in Oregon and I’ve been wanting to design and make some clothes and have an offline hobby for the winter.

I was also thinking about all the problems that COVID continues to present us, and thinking about how we’ll just have to be flexible and resourceful to keep on with our plans.

I’ll just have to be…

… creative.

What do you think your word will be?

I’d love to hear it, if you want to share it with me.