How to set goals for 2021 when everything feels so uncertain
Typically the start of a new year brings a renewed enthusiasm for setting goals. The final digit of the year is turning, and you’re looking ahead to a hopeful 12 months, refreshed and ready to pursue your dreams and plans.
But this new year feels different. Last January, we never could have imagined what would transpire throughout 2020. And, unfortunately, much of it wasn’t good. You, like almost every single person in the world, likely saw many dreams and plans crumble to the ground or get modified, in some cases beyond recognition.
And the coming year is still uncertain. In some parts of the United States and the world, life seems to be pretty much back to normal with businesses reopened and people living life no differently than they did at the beginning of 2020. And in other places in the U.S. and abroad, there are severe restrictions that make any semblance of normalcy almost impossible.
All this makes it understandable that you might balk at the idea of making any goals for 2021. But before you dismiss the idea as foolish in light of all the uncertainty, hear what I have to say. As a time management coach who has been working with clients all over the United States and the world, I’ve found that setting goals is actually more essential right now to maintain productivity and sanity.
Here’s how to set goals while we continue to face uncertainty.
Interrogate that ‘why bother?’ attitude
Throughout 2020, I’ve seen more people fall into hopelessness about their present and future. Inevitably, this leads to curtailing goal-setting and trying to make the most of the present situation.
But this is the biggest mistake you could make.
One of my personal secrets to life success is: You only fail if you stop trying. If you haven’t stopped trying, you haven’t failed because there is always another chance to try again.
Despite the unknowns of 2021, setting goals still has great value. Having goals gives you a sense of self-determination that you have the autonomy to make choices for your life and the competence to achieve them. This is a key component of mental and emotional health. Goals provide a sense of focus so you aren’t drifting through your day without purpose or motivation to be effective at work or thoughtful with your time outside of your job. Goals provide a sense of accomplishment, which can give you a hit of dopamine, a brain chemical that makes you feel happy. And goals can be an excellent distraction from thinking about all the things in the world that you have no control over and that can produce anxiety.
Setting goals for 2021 is worth it for all of those reasons. You also receive the reward of being more likely to achieve the things that are truly important to you.
Through my work this year, I’ve seen that even if you’re in a part of the country or the world with more restrictive measures, you still can set and achieve goals.
Schedule goals
One type of goal that you could set for 2021 is a schedule goal. One of the biggest themes I’ve seen throughout this year is that not going into the office or having things like gyms consistently available has really caused people’s schedules to slip. Two of the biggest areas of “slip” have been sleep schedules and work start times.
I’ve seen many people stay up later than they would prefer due to kids who don’t have in-person school being up later, as well as spending extra hours in front of the TV or scrolling online. This leads to sleeping in later, skipping morning routines and, in some cases, starting work much later than they would like.
If you find yourself in this cycle, make a goal around when you will go to bed and when you wake up.
Relatedly, make a goal around when you will start work in the morning. Then aim to be as consistent as possible with those targets. For schedule goals, as well as the following goals, a habit tracking app can help you measure progress.
Process goals
Another goal category that is within your control is “process” goals, or focusing on standardized routines that will help lead to the results that you want in life.
For example, I’m a big advocate of daily and weekly planning. Those are habits that I encourage all of my coaching clients to develop because they have such a dramatic impact on peace and productivity. If planning is not your favorite thing, you could at least make it a goal to do daily planning and have a written map of what you intend to do for the day.
Other process goals can vary depending on your job and personal circumstances. An example for a profession-specific process goal would be for a sales person to have a goal to follow up on a certain amount of leads each week. You can’t guarantee sales, but you can choose to practice consistency in a measured process that can lead to the outcomes you desire.
Action goals
While process goals are around following a system, action goals are focused on doing what you say you want to do. For example, you might make a goal to exercise four times a week. So, if your typical gym or class studio is not available these days, you can still find ways to work out at home or outside.
An action goal at work might include tackling a project that has long been gathering dust on your to-do list. To start making progress, pick one or two of these key projects each month to focus on and accomplish.
Stretch goals
Stretch goals are the icing on the cake of your 2021 goals. These types of goal are particularly important because they involve certain achievement in your life you would typically get excited about, and now which may or may not happen. You might be able to travel, or you might not. You might be able to go to concerts, or you might not. You might get that promotion at work, or you might not.
It’s acceptable to think about what you might want to do on these uncertain fronts in 2021. But I wouldn’t make them the only goals that give you something to anticipate. Instead, come up with some stretch goals that you can do even if everything is closed. For example, you might want to learn a new language, practice an instrument, complete a certification, read certain books or volunteer on a bigger level. I’m getting certified to be a foster parent.