New Year’s Resolutions are a popular idea of setting goals for the entire year. The problem is, statistics show that most people set a New Year’s Resolution and only make it about 18 days before quitting. What’s the point, then?

As a work-from-home mom, it’s important to me to set some year-long goals – both career and personal – to help me grow. The biggest difference for me, though is: (1) breaking my goal down into manageable mini-goals, and (2) setting checkpoints as often as I need. 

Breaking Your New Year’s Resolutions into Manageable Mini-Goals

We’ve all got big, huge New Year’s resolutions and goals we’d like to achieve: buy a house, eliminate debt, start a new business, write a book, etc.

The problem is when you only set the big goal. You’re setting a goal without setting steps to reach it. Instead of calling them ‘steps,’ I call them ‘mini-goals.’ That way, each time I meet a mini-goal, I get that endorphin rush of achievement and I’m motivated to hit the nest milestone.

For example, one of my goals this year is to double my income. That’s a big, huge goal. So I’ve identified a few mini-goals that I know are stepping stones to help me double my income.

So my goal looks like this now:

Big Goal: Double my income.

• Mini-Goal #1: Double my blog pageviews (produce great content, utilize Pinterest and Tailwind)
• Mini-Goal #2: Hit 10K audience on Instagram (produce great content, brand giveaways, consistent engagement)
• Mini-Goal #3: Diversify my streams of income (ad income, sponsored posts, blogging for other brands, social media work, etc)

Try It! Use the printable goal planner to set two big goals (I do one business/career and one personal), and then break them down into 3 mini goals. 

Click the image below to download the New Year’s resolution and goals planner!

Set checkpoints/milestones as often as is necessary for YOU.

Here’s the thing: we all need different amounts of checking in to hold ourselves accountable. I probably need less check in on my business goal than my personal one, because I’m more likely to hustle there and forget about myself. 

So decide how often you need to check in. Weekly? Monthly? Quarterly? Make a note of that on your goal planner.

I’m planning checkpoints monthly this year. So, each month, I’ll just print out a new goal planner and record the progress on the previous month’s planner. The back of the planner is blank so you can keep notes and information on there as needed. By using a monthly check-in, you can also adjust as needed. Maybe you need to scale your goal up or down, or maybe you need to change your mind about how you’re approaching it. Perhaps you’re focusing on all three mini-goals at the same time, or maybe you’re meeting them one at a time instead. 

Just make sure you’re keeping track of what you’re doing. 

Reward yourself for meeting your mini-goals of your New Year’s resolutions and goals.

If you’ve worked hard to meet a mini-goal (because, let’s face it; even a mini-goal is a huge step toward your resolution), you deserve a reward. You decided what would be meaningful to you. 

Then, when you reach your goal – celebrate! I’m thinking for me, it might be a new Fresh Sugar lippie or a new decor item to use in my food/lifestyle photography. 

Write your rewards down so you remember how you’re planning to celebrate the steps you take toward your New Year’s resolutions. 

25 Ideas for Your New Year’s Resolutions and Goals

1. Learn a new skill (cooking, knitting, playing an instrument, etc)
2. Set and stick to a budget.
3. Read 25 books.
4. Grow your business.
5. Diversify your income.
6. Turn a hobby into a business.
7. Get healthier (eating better, drinking more water, being more active).
8. Create a self-care plan to take care of yourself.
9. Travel more.
10. Create new relationships and friendships.
11. Organize your life.
12. Organize your house. 
13. Reduce stress in your life. 
14. Get out of debt. 
15. Land a new job.
16. Grow your gratefulness.
17. Raise your credit score by 25 (or 50, etc) points. 
18. Cook one new thing each week.
19. Start a journal or blog or vlog.
20. Learn to meal prep and meal plan.
21. Build an emergency fund. 
22. Start a capsule wardrobe.
23. Start a side hustle.
24. Spread kindness and give back more.
25. Conquer a fear.

I’d love for you to share one of your goals with me! Let me hear them; leave them in the comments below! 

Want more real life strategies and motivation? Come join me over on Instagram!