Happy new year!
Like approximately 93% of other people on the planet, I like to use the new year as a time to set new goals, and reflect on how old ones went.
I also like to take a walk around the city on January 1st. Half to get rid of my hangover, but also to just take a day to be grateful and reflect on everything I have.
This year, I take you with me.
I give you a little tour of my neighborhood in Portland, and then sit down and talk about my approach for new year’s resolutions, and why I think most people are setting themselves up for failure.
Let me know what you think.
Also, make sure you don’t accidentally pull out your SD card before your files are done downloading – as I had to re-edit this entire vlog post yesterday 
Digging the video posts? Check out the You Tube channel here.
Something you’d like to see covered? Leave a comment and let me know!
Happy New Year, Sean. I wish you every success in 2016 and I hope you reach those milestones. Here’s mine: I’m going to write and publish 10 guest posts, write and publish a free report, build a new website and publish my first blog; all while growing my freelance business. And you’re the first person I’ve shared all that with. Bring it on!
I completely agree. I set annual personal and business goals then I break them down into monthly goals and then weekly tasks. I have all this on a spreadsheet so I can mark each task as done or incomplete.
This way I know that I’m inching towards my targets and, if I find I’m not hitting them, I can assess why not and try another approach.
Good luck with your goals Sean, congrats on your marriage (Tate looks ace) and good work with ‘the desk’. I’ve been following your blog for some years now and am happy to say that your advice and the inspiration I get from seeing your lifestyle have helped create my own location independent, happy and successful freelance career.
Here’s hoping that 2016 is going to be awesome. x
Hey Sean, happy new year!
I think that breaking down big goals is HUGE, and something that I’ve started to do only very recently.
I’ll break a year goal into goals for six months, three months, one month, then every week.
For example, one of my goals is to hit single digit body fat. I decided that by three months, that means I’ll need to have lost 15 pounds. For every month, that’s 5 pounds a month. For every week, that’s 1.25 pounds.
Now I’m like hey, 1.25 pounds a week? As long as I track my calories with myfitnesspal 5 days a week, 1.25 pounds should be a piece of cake!
Breaking down big goals into a bunch of smaller milestones both shows you that big goals are the sum of a lot of little goals achieved, and also gives you an action plan to act on!
Losing 1.25 pounds a week seems totally reasonable and realistic compared to ‘get six pack abs and single digit body fat’ in 2016.
My biggest goal for this year is to make six-figures from my freelance copywriting business by the end of 2016.
Cheers!
Love the suggestions.
Making sure those goals are quantifiable and measurable is very, very key.
Ever heard of SMART goals? I’ve used it to some success, and measurability is one of the key tenants to the philosophy.
Best of luck with the sale!
Hey Sean! These vlogs are a refreshing change. Keep them up and all the best with your 2016 goals!
I’m loving these videos Sean – keep then coming man! I’m also a big fan and definitely supportive of the idea of getting an accountability partner/coach when it comes to elevating your health & fitness game this year – of course you knew I’d say that
You’re awesome man – Cheers!
Great advice, Sean.
I read a study last week which showed that the vast majority of entrepreneurs quit because they can’t make headway.
Breaking lofty goals into measurable milestones is a great idea. Check out Mini Habits by Stephen Guise – which is built on the same premise.
PS: Obviously I’m in that 7% who are late to the party.
One hack I’ve found particularly useful is to go into “monk mode” when I’m working. I just bookmark/clip all the cool stuff I want to watch later, withdraw from social media and work. Then at the end of the month, I have an “exploration marathon”.
Now I’m experimenting with doing this weekly rather than once a month. 3 hours of exploration time every Sunday. If I’m still interested in reading/watching something by the end of the week, then it’s probably not a bad idea.
Defer things long enough and a lot of decisions make themselves. 😉