Charlotte O'Hara 2018 Goals | business health personal

2018, I am READY for you!

We’re one week into the new year and I am still riding high on all the momentum and energy that comes with it. There are several points in the year that give me this sense of motivation and focus, such as new years, spring and early September, and I absolutely love planning out the next few months.

I’m someone who loves making a plan and coming up with action steps that will get me to where I want to be, and there’s no better time to get reflective than the new year. It’s a time to look back on the previous year, take note of what worked and what didn’t, and how I want things to change and look in the upcoming months and year.

This is the first time that I’ve ever shard my goals publicly on my website but I figured that since I often write about my business, it might be neat for my readers, clients and online business pals to see what I’m planning behind the scenes.

Before I share my goals, I’m going to give you a little insight into how I come up with my goals as well as context on why I set them the way I do.

Let’s take a look!

SMART Goals

Setting goals is one thing but if they aren’t SMART, they won’t be achieved.

If this term is new to you, SMART stands for
S - specific
M - measurable
A - attainable
R - realistic
T - time

There’s a difference between saying “I want a profitable business this year” and saying “My business will make $100K this year”. The first “goal” isn’t specific enough and it’s hard to measure. The second goal, however, is direct and at the end of the year you can easily look back and see if you met your goal or not (pass/fail, yes/no).

You goals should also be attainable, although there’s nothing wrong with aiming high! If you’re launching a brand new business as a solopreneur or freelancer, setting a goal of making five million dollars this year might be a stretch (or maybe not, I don’t know your life!). Instead, I always try to come up with something that pushes me and motivates me, but is also possible if I work my butt off. Being realistic with your goals also comes into play here. Your goals shouldn't be so small that you could cross them all off in an afternoon, but they also shouldn’t require you to 'become the next world leader six weeks from now' in order to be achieved.

Finally, your goals should have a timeline attached to them so that you can check them off.

Accountability

As I mentioned above, I’ve never published my goals publicly but this year I’m changing it up because I would LOVE some accountability! Now that I’m taking a deep breath and publishing my goals for the whole world to see, it means that you, my dear reader, know my goals and can help keep me accountable. If more people know my goals because I’ve put them out into the world, then they have more power and I’m more likely to achieve them (because if we’re being honest, I’m afraid of failing publicly and having you LOL at me).

Being in business for myself means that there’s no one to hold me accountable, no boss looking over my shoulder making sure my work gets done. Of course I am held accountable by my clients, but it’s not quite the same as working a traditional 9 to 5. The only performance reviews I get are when I sit down and evaluate myself, and having set goals makes this process way easier.

"Dreams don’t work unless you do"

Yes that quote is a little Pinterest-y but I believe it’s true. If you want something to change, you have to be willing to put in the work. A big part of change comes with identifying what you want and then creating action steps to get there.

This means that if I want to be a better version of myself (whether in business or in my personal life), I must identify ways to get there and be disciplined enough to make it happen.

I came across another great quote a few months ago and it’s one that I keep coming back to.

Discipline equals freedom - Jocko Williams

This Jocko guy is pretty intense but there’s a huge amount of truth in his words and it can be applied to everyone.

Once I’ve set my goals and decide that I’ll be disciplined enough to work on them, then I can take comfort in knowing that they will help me measure my success. Goals are a benchmark of success because they provide focus, determination and a sense of purpose.

If I just go through my day doing exactly what I want at all times, I would have zero sense of direction and would blow through my money faster that you can say “girl, chill”. But having a few goals that I’m working towards keeps me motivated and inspired to check them off my list.

Affirmative language

When you read my goals below, you’ll notice that they all use “affirmative language” and an active voice. They’re also all in the present.

I am. I have. I create.

I prefer to state what I want instead of what I don’t want, and my goals reflect that.

Charlotte’s 2018 Goals

Career

I book out 12 new web design/development clients in 2018 - I love my web design/development clients and want to continue this work but also want to diversify my income this year
I host my first webinar in January 2018 - This is something I said that I would do last fall and totally failed at. I need to get over my fear of being on-screen and do it already!
I launch my second digital product in February 2018 - My first digital product has done very well so far and I am already working on my second!
I grow my email list by 5,000 subscribers by July 2018 - They say that "the money is in the list" and as an online business ownerI know how important it is to have a healthy, active email list
I post 1 video tutorial to my Youtube channel (along with the corresponding blog post) every week - I was doing a good job at this but let the holiday season get the best of me
I blog 2 times every week and schedule posts in advance - Keeping a regular blogging schedule is something I will get better at this year. I love writing blog posts and creating content for my audience and I need to prioritize this in my schedule again because it definitely pays off

Personal

I read 2 books every month and keep track of them - I’m an avid reader but I’m also guilty of bingeing the latest show on Netflix. I’d like to spend more time reading books for pleasure & personal development and actually keep track of them this year
I sleep with my phone in another room and use an alarm clock to wake up - I’ve heard this makes a huge difference in quality of sleep and as someone who often struggles with insomnia, I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to finally ditch the phone at night
I contribute full amount to my TFSA ($5500) and at least 10% of my income to my RRSP by the end of 2018 - Any other personal finance nerds out there?
I drink tea without a full teaspoon of sugar in it - I finally ditch my obsession with sugary caffeinated beverages before 7am
I travel to four new countries by the end of 2018 - Asia, I'm coming for you!
I do one over-night/multi-night camping trip every month in summer 2018 - I can't wait to go back and hike in the North Cascades National Park down in Washington, and I have my eye on several other local BC backcountry trips :)

Health

I run a 10km race with friends/family in Fall 2018 - I can run 10km on my own anytime (#humblebrag) but it will feel so great to share this experience with my loved ones!
I complete a sober January 2018 - The first month of the year seems like a great time to cut out alcohol after a very boozy holiday season. My skin and waistline will thank me! I'm keeping track of this on my iPhone using the Way of Life app
I adopt a primarily plant-based diet starting January 2018 - I'm already a vegetarian and favour a plant-based diet but I know there's room for improvement. I want to make food choices that are better for my health and the environment, and are more in line with my beliefs this year. I'm not going 100% plant-based (yet) but I WILL do better and make conscious choices
I walk 10,000 steps every day - Most of the time I hit my goal but there are some days when I am just straight up lazy and don't do it. As someone who spends her entire work day in front of a laptop, I will prioritize movement in my day!
I wear sunscreen every day - I'm pale and love spending time in the sun which is not a good combination. My skin will thank me for being diligent about sunscreen!
I can do 15 full pushups in a row by June 2018 - I am working on getting stronger and this will be a great milestone to achieve

Final Thoughts

Alright, there you have it! My goals are out there for the world to see and I'm looking forward to checking in throughout the year to track my progress.

I'd love to know, what goals have you set for 2018? Do you break your goals down in the same way that I do or do you have a different approach? Do you have any tips or tricks for achieving your goals? Please leave me a note in the comments, I am genuinely curious to hear what you have planned for the upcoming year :)