There are so many ways you can go about working towards your goals and there really isn’t a right or wrong answer. That being said, for me, breaking them down at every step of the way gives me more control over the steps I take.
And part of that process, which starts with my annual and quarterly goals, is reliant on setting solid monthly goals to shape my day-to-day priorities.
How to Set Monthly Goals
We love a top-down, big-picture approach over here so if you haven’t already set some annual goals and quarterly goals, then pause now and go read those posts first.
Setting your monthly goals follows exactly the same process you went through to set your quarterly goals, so let’s just take a quick recap here before we talk about why they’re so goddamn important:
Step 1: Zoom out and review your long-term annual goals to make sure they’re still in line with your aspirations now
Step 2: Reflect on how last month went. What were your wins, challenges, failures, and how can you improve next month?
Step 3: Set SMART goals for the next month, making sure you take into account any big events or new projects that have crept up and need your attention
Step 4: Commit to them in your mind by writing them down
Now, why are we so determined that everyone should be setting monthly goals?
Why Monthly Goals Are So Important
Commit to Projects You Would’ve Otherwise Procrastinated
You’re limiting your time for procrastination by committing to projects that you’d otherwise put off until the very last minute.
By keeping your longer-term goals top of mind, there’s no way you’ll get to month 7 of 12 and realize you haven’t moved the needle on any of your goals for the year yet.
For example, if you’re writing a book this year, that’s a huge undertaking. You need a monthly milestone to work towards to keep you on track and not scrambling to even get started.
Turn Goals into a Solid Action Plan
A month is the perfect time bound to create a solid action plan with manageable monthly milestones for your long-term goals.
Each micro-commitment to your monthly milestone takes you one step closer to making seriously big moves and makes them seem so much more achievable.
“I want to make 6-figures this year” has no plan of action behind it, and could leave you floundering and overwhelmed.
“I need to sign one new client every month” is an achievable and specific milestone you can work towards to make the small moves to get to that big goal without that overwhelm.
Check out our article on The Seinfeld Strategy – The secret to consistency and hitting your long-term goals.
Make Prioritization So Much Easier
To remain focused, you need clarity. And that’s exactly what the exercise of reviewing your goals every month gives you.
Often work, school or other responsibilities take over your priorities without you even realizing it. That’s why we implore you to consistently revisit your goals and consider what’s important to you and where you want to focus your energy.
This is where you can incorporate any short-term priorities alongside your annual goals, like a new work project or a 10k you just signed up for.
These priorities might not be directly related to reaching a long-term goal per se, which means they won’t be in your plan already – but they’re equally important and need to be added to your goals for the month so that you can allocate time for them.
Renew Your Energy & Commitment to Your Biggest Goals
Recommitting to shorter-term milestones renews your energy to face your big goals.
Don’t underestimate how powerful it is feeling a consistent sense of accomplishment and ticking off each milestone in driving you forward month on month.
And by hitting shorter-term goals, you tap into the dopamine release you get from instant gratification but you’re actually also practicing delayed gratification because you’re choosing the path of consistency to see a big payoff in the future.
Build Healthy Habits
It takes 66 days to form a habit.
By committing to a single monthly goal to perform something every day, e.g. meditate daily, then you’re halfway to making it a habit. The flip side of this would be to set a goal for the year to “start meditating every day” which feels like a huge commitment when you look at it from the perspective of a full 365 days.
Recommitting to practices that you want to become habits on a monthly basis puts you on a great track to building a more healthy and balanced lifestyle.
At the very least, I’d say these are the most important goals you should be setting for yourself, even if you ignore all of the other posts in our goal-setting series.
Well, that’s it – all the reasons we love setting monthly goals. And truly, I hold the opinion that they’re the bare minimum commitment to make any difference or change in your life.
So even if you ignore all the other posts in our goal-setting series, take this one on board and start making moves.
Ready to take it a step further? Next up in the goal-setting series is how to set your weekly goals
