Everybody starts the new year with good intentions… very few people hold onto those intentions long enough to make their resolutions a reality.

It’s not just a question of “will power.” If you start out with better goals, you will be more likely to complete them.

Here are 9 ways you can help yourself when setting goals. Edit your 2024 resolutions using these tips, and you’ll get more done with less struggle and more positivity.

Goal Setting Tips

I am neurodivergent, and these tips help me like crazy, but everybody is a lil’ bit different.

Take the tips, try them out, and tweak them to what works for you!

Focus on what you can control.

A lot of times we set resolutions or goals that we WANT to happen, but aren’t really things we can DO.

For instance, let’s say I want to reach 500 subs on our YouTube channel. That’s a great goal!

Except I can’t actually do anything about that directly. For my goal or resolution to be effective, it should be something I can implement. An action I can take. Something I can actually do.

So instead of “Reach 500 subs,” I would set goals that are likely to make that happen. My goal would be, “Post videos every week,” or “Spend more time on each video.”

These goals are something I can actually do. By taking these actions, I am directly heading toward the future I want in a more concrete way, and by setting goals that are things I can do, I can track my progress and take action more easily.

Do, not do not.

It’s very hard to not. It’s much easier to do.

Many of us set resolutions or goals about things we want to avoid or stop doing. We say, “No more junk foods,” or “I’m not going to stay up so late so I can get more sleep.”

These goals have good intentions, but they are intrinsically negative. This means they both prime you to feel negative about them, and they are harder to take action on.

Instead, pick goals that are positive, in the sense that it’s something you can do, not something you can’t do.

Here’s the positive versions of the examples I gave: “I’m going to select healthier snacks.” “I’m going to go to bed at 10 PM.”

These tell you what to do and feel more positive, and thus more motivating, than simply telling you things you have to avoid… which paradoxically, only makes you think about the thing you don’t want to do!

Break goals down into steps.

It’s great to have big dreams. Otherwise, how would we accomplish big things?

Start with your Big Huge Dream Goal, and then break it down into smaller manageable goals. Pick one to start with and make it your focus.

For instance, maybe you have the Big Huge Dream Goal to be a more creative person in 2024.

That’s awesome! But what are you going to do to make that happen?

Write out all the little things that will go into that big goal, and then pick one to begin the journey. For example, here are smaller goals that could go into becoming a more creative person:

• Joining a band that practices regularly

• Free writing every day

• Reading books on creativity

• Learning to paint watercolors

• Buy and complete the Become More Creative Adventure Guide (just putting it out there, it’s a great way to do something fun every day for creative inspiration!)

Obviously, this list could go on and on, because being more creative is such a huge topic.

But once you’ve written out a few things that will lead to your Big Huge Dream Goal, pick one thing to start with, and make that your focused goal for at least one month.

For instance, you might start with free writing every day. Focus on that until you build up the habit.

Then, move on to the next smaller goal. Completing all of these, no matter how long it takes, will make your Big Huge Dream Goal come true!

Schedule time for your goals.

If you just say, “I’m going to freewrite every day,” you probably won’t do it.

Why not? Because humans are creatures of routine. We love patterns and tend to the do things the same way we did them yesterday.

In order to add a new habit to your routine, you need to consciously make time for it, at least at first.

That’s why many people try to write first thing in the morning when they wake up. You probably brush your teeth every morning, so adding writing for five to fifteen minutes can seem simple.

Doing things first thing in the morning isn’t great for me, so I like to schedule time in the afternoons, sometimes with people for added support, to work on stuff. It doesn’t matter when you do it, just that you get it on the schedule and start working it into your daily pattern.

If it’s important to you, decide where it fits in your schedule, add it to your calendar, and start the timer!

Set deadlines or progress checks.

I am entirely unmotivated without deadlines. I tend to set artificial deadlines to push myself, and everything on my to-do has a due date.

This is a big thing for people with ADHD. If you set a goal, don’t leave the timeline open.

I usually say, “I’m going to get this done in one month.”

Will I actually finish it in that month? Not always. Life happens and sometimes I have set way too big a goal to finish in just one month.

But by telling myself, “I’m going to finish it in one month,” I give myself a sense of urgency that keeps it at the top of my mind. When I don’t hit the deadline, that set date gives me a chance to review my progress.

If the idea of deadlines makes you nervous, call it a progress check instead. That’s more how I use them, anyway. I set a date, and on that date, I check on my progress.

When I don’t make a deadline, I take a look at what I’ve done so far. Is there something I could do better to help myself reach this goal? Something I can change? Or is the task going well, but simply too big to finish so quickly?

Remember, if you don’t hit the deadline or progress check, that doesn’t mean you failed! Think of it as a new starting line and redirect your path to your goal.

The only failure is giving up! Seriously! Keep pushing on, and you’ll get there eventually.

Tell everyone.

I don’t care if you think you’ll be annoying. If the people around you think your goals are annoying, find other people to talk to about it.

But by telling people, you are activating a powerful force: social pressure.

Humans generally hate letting other people down more than they hate letting themselves down. When you tell others what you’re doing, it will feel more real to you and more urgent.

So if 2024 is the year you finally write your novel, TELL EVERYONE YOU ARE WRITING A NOVEL. People will ask you about it later and that will remind you to get back on track. Plus, it’s more fun to celebrate achieving milestones with other people.

Bonus points if some of the people you tell are trying to do the same thing. It’s one thing to tell your random friends you’re writing a book, and another thing to talk with other people who are writing their own books.

#writingcommunity on Twitter is a great place for this. Shout to the community that you are working on your book, share your word count and progress, and they will cheer you on!

Consider reaching your goal a foregone conclusion.

Talk and think about your goal or resolution like it’s definitely going to happen. 100%. There is no doubt that you will, eventually, reach the goal.

The only things in this life that are certain are death, taxes, and you accomplishing this goal.

It’s going to take a lot of work, and might not happen as quickly as you would like, but you are going to do it. Despite the hurdles, you will make it happen, it’s inevitable!

Remember, an inch closer is still closer. You can write a novel in less than two years by writing one hundred words a day. You can learn an instrument practicing five minutes a day (if they are a very focused five minutes).

As long as you keep going, you will reach your goal. Remind yourself of that and accept that success is a foregone conclusion.

Celebrate when you reach your goal!

Sometimes we’re so focused on goal setting and goal reaching that we forget to celebrate.

It’s important to reward yourself when you accomplish something you set out to do, because that activates happy pathways in your brain related to will power and accomplishment. It will make it easier later to finish something you set your mind to, because your brain associates that effort with reward.

Plus, it’s just nice to yourself, and you deserve it for all your hard work.

I don’t find that planning out a reward in advance is helpful for me, but I always make sure to do at least something small for myself when I do hit a goal.

Even just the pleasure of bragging to my partner can be enough, but for really big goals, I have a cafe with special little one-person cakes that I go to, only when I’ve finished something I really wanted to get done.

If deciding on a reward in advance motivates you, awesome! Use that. Otherwise, don’t forget to celebrate the wins once you get there.

Most important number one thing to do when setting goals!

Before you set any goals, you should make sure they align with your values.

For instance, for several years I worked corporate jobs. It was always a big goal of mine to get a raise and a promotion. That’s a pretty normal goal, right?

But when I took any time to analyze it, I realized that I was just setting that goal for myself because I knew it would be perceived as success by society (and my mom).

When I thought about my true, honest, innate values, I realized that I valued freedom and creativity much more than income. I feel very lucky that I was able to recognize that and make the move to freelancing full time without starving to death.

Maybe I don’t get the fancy titles or big bonuses (although I do make more per hour as a freelancer than I did as a full-time employee), but I’m so much happier, and what’s more relevant to this article, I find it easier to stay motivated and reach my goals.

One of my big goals this year is to draft the second novel in my scifi superhero adventure series, The Citadel. Because that goal is aligned with my values (I freakin’ love books), I’m more likely to achieve it, and be happy while I do it.

So before you make that long list of all the ways you’re going to be a “better” person, think about what YOU really care about.

Then make your goals based on your true values.

Your future self will be thankful you did.

Not sure where to start?

Do you feel unsatisfied or bored? Not sure how to fix that?

We have a FREE guide for you!

Check out the 21 Creativity Killers Guide. It will tell you exactly what problem is dragging you down, and how you can take action to defeat it and live a more fulfilled, creative life.

What’s your 2024 new year’s resolution? Share in the comments!