Read on to learn tips to mindfully plan 2024 goals and intentions that align with becoming the highest version of yourself!
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I hope everyone is having a great December so far! I just want to throw out a friendly reminder that right now is a good time to start reflecting and planning how you can live your best life in 2024!
Let’s Talk About Planning Our Goals & Intentions for 2024
Photo by Anna Tarazevich: https://www.pexels.com/photo/goal-lettering-text-on-black-background-5598296/
What are New Year’s goals and intentions? And how can you set mindful New Year’s goals and intentions?
More and more people are rejecting the traditional concept of “New Year’s Resolutions.” I’ve noticed that, unfortunately, that phrase holds negative connotations. In my experience, New Year’s Resolutions sometimes include setting unrealistic expectations and setting goals from a place of feeling like you need to “fix yourself.” Trying to become someone you are not is unhelpful for making effective, lasting lifestyle changes.
Whenever I encounter a self-improvement strategy or tool that doesn’t quite align, I simply change the name to something that feels better. And that is why I call these New Year’s Goals and Intentions.
Positive Goal and Intention Setting Tips
Set goals from a place of self-compassion
As I just mentioned, setting goals to try and “fix” ourselves, usually does not work. Setting goals rooted in self-criticism typically leads to unrealistic goals that aren’t actually aligned with our values. Then, when we “fail” to meet these goals, we end up feeling even worse about ourselves, which can cause a negative spiral.
It is a recipe for disaster, in my humble opinion, which is why we need to set goals rooted in self-compassion.
Even if your brain tends to skew negative (as mine does, unfortunately), try as much as possible to identify the goals and intentions that will bring more positivity into your life.
A good way to gauge this is to notice how you feel when you think about your goals. You want your goals to feel exciting, not oppressing.
Photo by Nathan Lemon on Unsplash
Set goals that add to your life (not take away)
This next tip fits perfectly with the first. I want you to try to only set goals that add to your life, instead of goals that take away from your life.
As an example, you could say you will eat x servings of vegetables and protein per day, instead of saying you will never eat candy again. This means you are adding more nutrients to your diet without taking away food you enjoy.
Ask yourself if your goals align with the highest version of yourself
Only set goals that move you closer to the person you want to be and the lifestyle you want to live. Keep that vision close to you when you need a motivation boost.
If you are unclear on what living like the highest version of yourself looks like, take some time to envision your ideal lifestyle. You can achieve this through journaling and reflecting. Gaining clarity on your dream life will help you take the steps to get there.
Finding images that align with my future dreams helps me feel more focused on what I am working toward. I keep my vision board as the screensaver on my computer, so I’m constantly reminded.
Another activity I’ve done is creating a journal entry where I write as if I already am the highest version of myself. This one is recommended by a lot of personal development experts, and I suggest you try it as well. This can help you get even clearer on your ideal life.
Get as specific as possible by identifying details, such as:
What the highest version of yourself wears.
What the highest version of yourself does for fun.
What the highest version of yourself does for self-care.
What is the difference between a goal and an intention?
I talk about setting “goals and intentions.” But what does that mean? How are those two terms different?
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
What is a goal?
A goal is a concrete objective. This is an action or activity that you can clearly identify.
Goal examples:
Cook a new recipe.
Learn a new language.
Pick up a new hobby.
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
What is an intention?
An intention focuses on how you feel. Setting intentions is more about working on your mindset than accomplishing a specific objective.
I am more aware now than ever of the importance of your mindset, and I want to inspire others to start (or continue) using intentions to design the life you want.
“Unlike your goal, which will be accomplished sometime in the future, your intention is a state of being that can start the moment you decide to make it happen.” – Holstee.com
Intention examples:
Spend more time living in the moment.
Incorporate more joy into your life.
How to Plan Your 2024 Goals and Intentions With Notion
Notion is an all-in-one productivity and note-taking app. You can use Notion to organize all aspects of your life, including work and personal tasks.
I love Notion because it makes staying organized easier, but also more fun.
Customizing a template is an exciting start to a new project! Come along with me as I walk you through the steps to provide inspiration for how you can set and track your New Year’s Goals and Intentions.
- Select a template
♦ The first step is to browse through Notion’s Template Gallery and select one you like. I searched the keyword “New Year” and found this template:
- Break your goals down into categories
♦ Breaking goals down into categories helps you stay organized and can help you feel less overwhelmed. Try not to focus on more than 2-3 items max per category.
♦ I chose to focus on these four categories:
◇ Physical health
◇ Mental Health
◇ Career
◇ Hobbies
♦ Making sure you are really intentional when determining your goals will set you up for success. Check out this post on how to set and maintain new goals and habits.
- Associate images with your goals
♦ Once you solidify your goals and intentions, you get to create your 2024 vision board! This post on How to Prepare for the New Year will walk you through the steps to create an effective and inspiring vision board, as well as other activities to get you in the right mindset to achieve your goals.
♦ Make sure to pick images that make you feel motivated and inspired to keep pursuing your goals.
I hope this helps. Make sure to sign up for my email list and follow me on social media for more lifestyle and Notion inspiration!💖
More Lifestyle Resources to help you live your best life:
Lovely With Lana’s podcast episode: becoming the ultimate version of yourself with guest Madison from the getupandglow podcast pairs well with this guide!
Make sure to leave a comment to let me know what your 2024 goals and intentions are!
Featured Image: Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
Life by Julia 
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