So… we’re creeping in on mid-February and you aren’t crushing those 2017 goals quite like you thought you would. Trust me, I’ve been there! And you know what? It’s OK! It’s never too late and just because you haven’t necessarily started yet, doesn’t mean you’ve failed! Let’s focus on turning it around and How To Dominate Your Goals in 2017, even if January has already sped through town.

I’m sure it went something like this… the end of December approached and someone asked you what your goals were going to be for 2017, which got you thinking, ‘what are my goals for the new year?’. Suddenly, you have a clear idea of what you’d like to accomplish in the new year! You feel good! Energized! Accomplished!

Fast forward a few weeks in and you may have checked off one thing, but other things are quickly falling to the wayside. Work, family, unexpected commitments and a million other things have gotten in the way. You know, the usual. You struggle and suddenly, you give up.

There is always next year, right?

No! Now is as good a time as any to regroup and get back on track. Don’t wait another year to accomplish the goals that you set for yourself! You’re not a failure if you haven’t gotten there yet! We’re still too early in the year to even think such a thing. Maybe now is just time to approach things a little differently…

How To Dominate Your Goals in 2017

1. Make Your Goals As Clear as Possible

Did you write your goals down on a napkin? Are they vague and not as specific as they could be? “Lose weight” or “Keep the house clean” are great goals to have, but it’s even better when you can be specific about what you’re looking to accomplish.

For example, if you set out in 2017 with a goal of “organizing the home”, that is pretty vague. I know, I know, we all want an organized home, but what does that mean to you? Do you want the mail kept in a certain place? No dishes in the sink? Your home office not looking like a tornado hit? Or do you just want to make sure clutter is picked up at the end of each day? Everyone views that goal differently.

Take that vague goal and make it more clear! Think about what you specifically want to make sure happens and set that as your goal. If you want to organize the home, but it turns out maybe only your living area is what is driving you crazy, set your goal to include the living room and kitchen to organize. This is going to make it easier to kick that goal’s butt over the course of the year and you’re going to dominate!

2. Break Up Your Goals Into Manageable Action Items

Maybe you have big goals for the year and that is ahhhh-mazing! Maybe it’s time you FINALLY purge old toys, clothes, shoes, home decor, (insert your vice here), etc. But you can’t move mountains without first making a plan.

Don’t forget, you have an entire year to accomplish these goals, so stop pressuring yourself that you need to finish things tomorrow. Begin by breaking things up into manageable items. If you’re doing some purging, set yourself up with 3 bins: one for garbage, one for donations, one for keeping. Just start by filling up one of those bins at a time and before you know it, things are getting done.

Have a goal of doing some redecorating in the home this year? Start by figuring out what the main things are you want to do. Paint? New pictures or home decor? Break things down by figuring out your color-scheme. Even if it’s something as simple as setting up some new Pinterest boards for yourself to start getting the inspiration you need. Soon, your ideas are going to start coming to life once you know exactly what you want to do!

3. Set Specific Deadlines

This is a big one. You have an entire year to knock out these goals of yours. Remember that! That means you now have about 10 months to finish working on the list that you have set yourself up with. That’s a lot of time, people!

So set up deadlines for yourself. If you’re losing weight, set yourself up with mini-goals for every month. Decluttering? Focus on one room a month. Even better? If you set yourself up to focus on one room a month, you can break THAT goal down even more. Think about focusing on a specific area of the room every week. Dressers one week, closets one week, deep-cleaning one week and re-arrangements the last week. Wow – That whole room has been transformed and now you can move onto the next one.

When you set specific deadlines for yourself, you’re going to ensure that you can arrange your goals around your schedule, not the other way around. Because those scheduling conflicts seem to come up so often and are a major reason why goals fall down the drain, this is a great way to stay ahead of it.

4. Eliminate Roadblocks

Maybe it’s time to send the kids to Grandma and Grandpa’s for the weekend, so you can focus on a household goal you have on your list. Or better yet, put the kids to work with you and make it a family project!

Perhaps it’s time to put more thoughtful actions into place. Are you jumping from meeting to meeting, regardless if you’re working from home or outside of the home? Those can impact the time you spend and can end up making you less productive in the long run. Maybe 2017 is the year to start consolidating some of those meetings and focusing on the big picture more? What good is working yourself to the bone if you’re not accomplishing the goals you are setting out for yourself?

And just like that, you’re going to accomplish what seemed impossible and I’m betting, even more.

You got this!