Setting the Tone

I think I’ve said it sometime in the past how important it is to start your new year goals in the previous year. So, for instance, if your new year's goal is to start drinking a litre of water every morning as soon as you wake up, it’s advisable to start at least a week before in December , so that your body begins to get used to it, and also that pressure that comes with the new year and makes you slack on your goals just after you start, wouldn’t be the case.

And I think this was my case for the longest time when it came to setting goals. I wrote down all my goals a week before or a day before the new year. I’d start with momentum on the first day, firing through the second day, still powering through the third, but by the fourth, I'd begin to slow down a bit, then, I compromise a bit, and the next thing you know, that goal is more or less a distant memory, which I'd recall with regret once in a while.

I already know that 2026 is going to be my best yet, and apart from the strong conviction I have in my heart that this will be the case, there’s also the systems and structures I’ve put in place to ensure that 2026 is going to be my best year. From career all the way to tiniest part of personal development, I didn’t just jot down my goals, I broke them down like I was advised to into bite-sized goals that wouldn’t feel overwhelming.

Let’s assume that one of my goals is to become the President of the Law Students Association of Nigeria in my University. I wouldn’t just set that goal, and you know, just wait to achieve it. I’d have to break them down to monthly and even weekly goals. Things I’d do, people I’d see, programs I’d run, little impacts I intend to make, every day, every week, and every month, all leading up to the grand finale, keeping the big goal in sight.

So, I resolved not to overwhelm myself but at the same time not limit myself. I know we’re supposed to set feasible goals, but do you really know what your limit is if you don’t push yourself a little bit? Step out of your comfort zone? Anyway, my goals range from LinkedIn to Books, Career, Writing, Public Speaking, Academic, Fitness, and so on. After writing each of these categories, I further broke them down into tidbits, and can I just say that it’s such an exhilarating experience, when you map out how you want your life to go, put together your vision board and all of that?

I may not mention all my goals, but I will tell you the values I plan to carry me through next year, as I relayed to my LinkedIn Community: Discipline, Discernment and Grit. I thought long and hard as to why I need to have these values as my watchword for the new year, and I’ve chosen them because I came to understand that these are all I need to attain my goals for next year.

So, you know what? Let’s see how it goes. Super grateful to the Ladies of Hive Community for the opportunity to share this.

Jhymi🖤

_{Image is mine.}