I started goal setting in 2008 and I began a personal journey to improve my life! I started every year in January taking the time to sit down and write out my goals, personal and professional goals. I write my REAL desires and wishes as my goals, as crazy as they may be, I write them down. I began doing this with my husband at the start of the year.  My husband and I would sit down together and we would say what do we want to achieve this year whether it might be a vacation, a purchase of a home, a career path, something for our kids.  What did we really want? We wrote it down, charted it out, and set milestone markers that we would go back and check our goals. 

I remember the first time my husband and I were goal setting and when I said I want to take our kids to Disneyland . My husband did not think we could afford it. I was determined  to find a way and I set out a course and a path to save the money to put it aside to take my kids to Disneyland. That year we sure did just that, we went to Disneyland. Fast forward to 2023, we continue to make a list and focus of what we want in our life.  We love setting our goals and write out the most practical and outlandish goals. It is fun to reflect at the end of the year to see how things panned out. 

Vision Boards
When I began goal setting, I began with creating vision boards.  I took a large piece of poster board and divided it up into three sections, personal, professional and family. I cut out images that I found going through magazines of places I wanted to go to and things I wanted to do.

 For example:

• I wanted to really start focusing on my health and my wellness

• I wanted  complete a 5k

• I wanted to learn more about yoga

• I wanted to achieve the milestones in my career 

• I wanted to take my kids on vacation

After creating that vision board, I placed it in a spot that I could see it every day, my closet. It stayed in the center of my focus  and served as a reminder of what I wanted my life to become. 

Goal Setting 
In 2020, I then became more specific and in addition to creating the vision board full of images that I wanted I began to create SMART goals for myself personally and professionally. 

SMART goals are:

• Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time senstive

  • You can create goals that are both for business and personal

  • You must set realistic goals

  • Create a path or plan for how to achieve the goals (write out how to attain it)

  • Set time markers of when you would like to reach your goals

  • Review your goals every 3 and/or 6 months. 

  • Make adjustments to your goals if needed. Modify the path if necessary.

  • Spend time reflecting at the end of the year about the goals you had set. What did you achieve? What goals will you keep? 

I write a goal, and set the timeframe for me to reach it. I make long-range plans for my personal life and for my business.  These long-range and short-term goals plans are written on paper and they are time stamped so that I plan out when I want to achieve that goal.  Then I create a vision board based on those goals and I hang it in my office. 

Midway through the year, usually June, I reflect upon my goals and I determine what needs to be adjusted. I do my best to meet my personal and professional goals each year sometimes as January comes back around and I reevaluate my goals and whether I made them or not I may revise them or remove them because they've already become achieved I may add new goals to my vision board and to my page.

Manifestation of your goals
To turn up the dial on goal setting take on this next step.
Write out your goals in present day. Write them like you already have them in your life.

For example:
My life is exactly the way I want it to be. I work at _______ and my coworkers are joyful to work for. I live ________________. Each day is easy and everything works out for me. I travel to ______________ each year. I earn____________and am able to purchase_______________. I am healthy and active. I take time each day to take great care of my self. My friends and family are kind to one another and I enjoy spending time with them. 
My life is exactly the way I want it to be!

Write it out and keep it with you and read it each day. Believe that it will happen. You will be surprised at how your life will change for the better.

Since I have been creating vision boards, goal setting, and manifesting my life.  It has has been a wonderful turn of events. It is thrilling each year to create new goals and achieve them. Take control of your life and make good things happen!

These vision boards and intention setting can be found in my self-care journals, Working on Wellness, Kickstarting Wellness,and Staying Well.  These are great resources for you to go through and set some goals and intentions for each week to help you on your path.  I use them myself  you can find them on my website creativelivingideas.com or you can just go to Amazon search Tania Farran and my journals are linked there!  

What I have learned: Don’t sit back and let 2024 happen. Plan and manifest your goals.