Best Of: New Year Goal Setting

Happy 2018! It's the start of a brand new year! I love the promise that a new year brings--brimming over with possibilities, potential, and unknown adventures. We have the ability to create it as we see fit and to choose how much or little we accomplish. It's so exciting to begin afresh and year after year we see countless individuals creating 'resolutions' of potential changes they would like to apply to their life. The problem is that come next month (sometimes even Jan 31st), many of the well-meaning resolutions have faded into the background of old habits and routine. So, how do we fix that? My suggestion is to set goals rather than make resolutions. Goals have accountability and progress checkpoints in addition to a date of completed accomplishment. Simply wishing to change or even deciding to change will never actually get someone to act differently unless it is backed with action and a set end result. Goal setting is truly one of the most powerful tools I've used to drive progress and accomplish incredibly exciting things in my own life, and I encourage you to apply this process to your own dreams and desires. Over the years of blogging, I've written a few posts on this subject, so I've rounded up some of the best quick/practical reads below so you can effectively set goals and accomplish some fantastic things in the new year! Here's to great success!

(via)

Get Ready, Get Set:

#Goals

How To: Set New Year's Goals

Go Get 'Em!:

How To Achieve Your Goals In the New Year

Worth It

3 Ways To Make This Your Best Year Yet  

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What Are You Waiting For?

I ask myself this question a lot, especially when it comes to facing a new challenge, fear, or setting a brand new goal. It's easy to be distracted by things that may be good/fun/interesting but if it pulls you away from what you are trying to accomplish, is it worth it? If you don't make a choice that takes you in the direction of your dreams then your priorities are aligned elsewhere. If not now...then when? If not you...then who? Here's the deal: no one can change your life except for you! Challenge yourself to take that leap of faith, to do the thing that you've been putting off, stretch yourself to a new limit, and decide that nothing is going to stop you from accomplishing that which you have set out to do. Now is the best time. What are you waiting for? If you've been looking for a sign...this is it. Just do it. Things are always easier once you get past that first step. 

We often set up mental roadblocks to our progress, and make things seem far more difficult than they actually are. Think about when you end up taking some time off from your exercise routine. Is it easy to just pick up and go again when your alarm goes off in the morning after taking a few weeks off? Probably not. You think of how cozy your bed is, how working out is always so challenging, and you think about how great it would be to sleep in a few extra minutes...etc and sooner or later you're off for another two weeks. Once you decide that feeling healthy and strong is more important that hitting snooze again, you're still faced with the same situation, but the end result is different. When the alarm goes off in the morning, do you want to get up? No. Do you do it anyway? Yes, because you know that once you're up and out, you'll be glad you took the time to strengthen and care for your body. The same is true for your goals. The longer you put things off, the easier it is to prolong a lack of progress. If not now, when? This is your time. Go do those things you've been wanting to accomplish. There's never been a better time than today to begin! What are you waiting for?

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3 Thoughts On Success

Happy 2016! It's the beginning of a new year once again, and we're all thinking about the many things we'd like to accomplish or improve upon. There's something about the promise of a clean slate, a fresh start, and a new beginning that's exhilarating, refreshing, and maybe even somewhat challenging. No matter where you're starting, or what exciting goals lie ahead of you, here's three great reminders from one of my favorite authors on the subject of leadership and life success, Jim Rohn. You'll be inspired and encouraged to get out there and do something amazing!

1. Convert dreams into plans, and plans into goals, and goals into those small daily activities that will lead us, one sure step at a time, toward a better future.

2. Attitude is the major determining factor in how our lives turn out. Each of us will be somewhere in the next 12 months; the question we must ask ourselves is where?

3. We must design the future not just dream about it. The smallest of disciplines, practiced everyday, start an incredible process that can change our lives forever. It is the small disciplines that lead to great achievements.

Here's to a fantastic and successful year ahead! 

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How to: Set New Year's Goals

The start of a brand new year is always so exciting to me! It's the opportunity to set new goals, come up with plans to try new things, and start afresh! There's often lots of talk about creating resolutions, unfortunately, most of those tend to fail after a few weeks. Instead of making resolutions, I like to set some goals that will help me to stay on track as I work toward accomplishing new things in life! Here's a few tips that have helped me on the path to success, and I know will be of benefit to you in your goal setting process.

1. Set short-range goals in addition to long-term goals. (Think in terms of day, week, month, and six-months. You'll need these in addition to a year long or even 5 year goal. Be specific!)
2. Set goals for a variety of levels. (Some should be easy to accomplish, while others may require more effort, time, and team members.)
3. Set incremental goals. (Little by little gets you to the big picture. Set benchmarks for progress assessment and accomplishment along the way!)
4. Get group reinforcement (Regular encouragement, accountability, and wisdom from mentors and those who are on the same journey with you can be of great benefit to accomplishment.)
5. Celebrate the achievement! (It's time to celebrate when you achieve your goal! Give yourself a reward, go out to a nice dinner, take a trip, get a new outfit...it's ok to celebrate your success! You did it!!!)

Here's to a fabulous, successful, and fun 2016 ahead! 

Happy New Year!

P.S. Have a minute? Here's three extra tips for making this year your best one yet!

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#Goals

What are your goals? We throw that word around a lot, take a look at the phrase #goals and you'll find a variety of images and words that have been attached to it, yet not all of them are actually things that would qualify as true goals that people want to achieve. Goals give us vision, passion, and a desire to change, obtain, create, or work hard for something. Goals give meaning to our lives, and can push you and I to do more than we may have first thought possible. If you don't already, set aside a time to look at the major areas of life: business, home, social, physical, mental, and spiritual, and create a plan. As you plan, make sure that your goals are in line with your mission statement (if you don't have one yet, here's a guide to help you create one). Some people say to work with a 10 year, 5 year, and then a 1 year plan. What I like to do, personally, is to write out 8-10 goals for the year, and also write out a broader view of where I want to be in 5 years. This not only gives me some direction, but then allows me to ensure that the goals I'm setting for this year are in line with where I want to be in 5 years. Choose a system that works well for you. Someone once said that if goals aren't written down, they are only pipe dreams. Let's leave the pipe dreams behind and make things reality in our lives! Ready to get to work? Here's three key steps to help you in the process of setting and achieving your goals.

1. Verbalize: Tell yourself aloud what you're going to do. Write out your goals on an index card, and read your goals (written in present tense..'I am, I have') out loud to yourself every morning, every night. Tell others what you are in the process of working for so they can help you to reach your goal.

2. Visualize: See yourself doing or accomplishing your goal. The more feelings and emotion you can attach to the goal, the better!

3. Vitalize: Actually do what you set out to do! Goals don't work unless you do! Get out there and start on the process to accomplishment.

Don't ever be complacent with where you are. You can always keep growing! Think about where you want to be and the many things you can accomplish in a year, and then write it down. Here's to a successful year ahead! You can do it!

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Just Do It

Things have been a little busy around here lately...and this is why!

Big dreams in life often require three things:

1. Time

2. Hard Work

3. Focus

I don't know what big goals you're in the process of achieving, for me it was my master's degree, but I want you to know that those goals are so worth the achievement process. The feeling of walking onto the field to Pomp & Circumstance, with thousands of others from across the globe, surrounded by a entire stadium packed full of people cheering for you is well worth the late nights, long hours, and months of hard work. Remember that nothing great is ever achieved alone, so don't forget to thank those around you who helped to encourage and support you along the way. Stay the course, persevere, and you will reap the incredible reward of achieving your dream. In the words of Nike, "just do it".

The life you dream of is waiting for you...will you live it?

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5 Questions To Ask Yourself Right Now

It's good to do a self-check every once in awhile so you can congratulate, re-calibrate, or set a date..for a new goal (sorry, just had to rhyme the last one!). We come to many intersections in life, and it is good to know how to make decisions that will positively impact our direction. We can add things to our lives, subtract from them, or swap something we do have for something we don't. It is critical to know when to do which of the above options. I'm currently doing some self-checking, goal setting, and habit creating, so I thought I'd share a few questions that have helped me in this process....

1. Are you giving attention to your soul?

2. Are you doing challenging or uncomfortable things? 

3. What are you doing to develop the habit of character growth?

4. Do you consistently serve others and put them first?

5. Where have you placed the majority of your focus up to this point in your life? Does it need to stay there, be adjusted, or change altogether? 


I challenge you to spend a few moments answering these questions for your own life...go ahead and even journal some of the answers on a piece of paper, and see where you are in terms of the goals you've set. Are you on the way to where you want to be? If yes, fantastic! Keep it up! If not, don't beat yourself up over it, just re-adjust your goals and priorities, and set some exciting benchmarks along the way to achieving the life you want! It's been said that the pathway to success is not an elevator...you always have to take the stairs. Remember that in the process, while it may be tough or uncomfortable, you become a person of character.

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How to Handle Stress

I came to a point recently where everything just seemed to be pretty overwhelming, schedules full and stress abounding. Normally I thrive on the rapid shift from event to event and the busyness that fills my calendar with things to do, but this time it felt like a lot of stuff and not enough time to accomplish it all with excellence. This got me thinking about how often we go through life, and when people ask us "how are you?" we respond with "I'm busy"---when did that become an acceptable or even admired response? Are we investing our time into the right kinds of activities and plans that will lead us to accomplish greatness, or do we simply fill our calendars with things that keep us occupied? After a good conversation with some friends, I was inspired to do some planning and self-examination of how I balance my schedule and life. Here's a few of the things that have helped me in the search for finding that necessary wise investment of time.

-Create a system for everything (daily habits, school, writing, work..etc.)
-Assess where you have put the majority of your focus up to this point in your life. Is it a direction that will benefit you in the future? Determine how to shift that focus by adding time, money and attention to the activities that will benefit and grow you in those areas and develop your character.

Ask yourself 4 questions:
1. Who are you becoming?--What are you doing everyday to develop a habit of character growth?
2. What are you doing?--Are you investing time in activities that will lead you to your goals?
3. Who do you hang out with?--Do you surround yourself with positive, encouraging and inspiring people?
4. Are you growing?--Are you asking enough questions and challenging yourself to do hard things, or do you simply stay within your comfort zone?

Once I've answered those questions, I move on to creating a schedule that gives me more time to do what I want and need to be doing.
Here's a few tips I've picked up over the years to create more margin in life:

Delegate: Work smarter, not just harder. Do what you do best and drop the rest. Operate within your areas of strength.

Plan: What gets planned for, gets done. Get control of your calendar; otherwise, other people will.

Collaborate: Work with others that you like so you are energized. Surround yourself with people who uplift and inspire you. Invest time with others who are ahead of you on the journey, in the areas where you want to grow, and learn from them.

Reduce: Look at your calendar, examine your daily and weekly activities, and decide which ones are keeping you from being productive...and eliminate them. This frees up your time and energy to be focused on what really matters and will make a world of difference for you! (This concept also applies to relationships with others...sometimes it's best to simply move on when friends aren't growing in the same kind of direction as you. Don't try to drag people along to a place where they aren't willing to be.)

"It honors God when we enjoy life and live it well. That means taking risks--sometimes failing, sometimes succeeding, but always learning. When you enjoy your life, the lines between work and play begin to blur. We do what we love and love what we do. Everything becomes a learning experience."--Tom Peters

Perhaps you've been in that same stressed situation like I was. It was so beneficial to invest some time in assessment of my priorities, calendar and goals. Challenge yourself to look at your life, examine your daily routine, habits, and schedule, and apply some of these ideas to create the life you really want.

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How do you handle stress? What helps you to stay focused on your goals?

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Mantra Monday

We're coming into the last week in January (what?!), and all month long we've been talking about what inspires us. Each Monday I've been sharing a quote that's encouraging me (and you too, hopefully) to make 2014 absolutely amazing!! Need to catch up on a week? Find the previous Mondays linked HERE, HERE & HERE

Don't we just love to be busy? I tend to be a person that thrives on a schedule that's full of events, appointments and things to accomplish, but have you stopped to evaluate what exactly you're doing on a daily basis? Recently, I took some time to look at my daily habits, schedule and routine, and did a little tweaking. You see, we often think, "oh, if only I could be so-and-so, or have the life that this person does, or have an extra hour/day/week in this year.. then I could live the way I wanted to." Here's the deal, if we don't examine & adjust our daily living, how will we ever change to get to the life we want? John Maxwell, a well renown teacher on leadership, once said, "the secret to success is hidden in your daily routine." It's often times the little things done over and over, that in turn become the big achievements later. 

This past weekend, my pastor spoke about how we need to trade idle time for purposed time, and that means we need to evaluate what we're doing. Busyness without productivity gets us nothing but frustration, so let's set some goals, look at what needs to be done to get there, and arrange our habits accordingly. The question listed above is something I've begun to ask myself on a daily basis, and I encourage you to do so also. What things are you doing today to get you to where you want to be tomorrow? If it's not benefiting your future and turns into "idle time", consider using your time in a different way. When preparedness meets opportunity, that's when we see success. Here's to a productive, dream-filled, goal-oriented, incredible 2014! Get out there and make things happen! 

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Mantra Monday

It's Mantra Monday again! I'm sharing what's inspiring me for the new year all through the month of January! If you didn't catch last week's mantra, take a look here! 

(via the Everygirl)

Excuses, excuses...those things sure are pesky, aren't they? Unfortunately, they can also be very successful in keeping us from doing things that will ultimately lead to the life we want. As we have moved into this month, I've taken some time to evaluate where I want to be in the year 2014, and there's been some necessary changes that I needed to make in my life, and I must admit that excuses have kept me from making changes before, but when I decided to stop thinking of all the reasons why I shouldn't, and just started doing something, immediately the 'excuse-itis' went away, and was replaced by momentum. A good friend of mine once said, "everything you want is outside of your comfort zone", and it is absolutely true. Sometimes we make excuses because we're afraid of what needs to be done, but other times it's because we're comfortable with where we are, and change means exploring the unfamiliar. The challenge for us is to stop with the reasons, and excuses to not make those positive (and most likely uncomfortable) changes, and to stop merely talking about what we want to do, and just get started. Make that first move, it's scary, I know, but the little bit of courage to start is what will snowball into a passion, a blazing fire of momentum to get you to the life you've dreamt of. The next time you're faced with an opportunity, and you begin to make excuses, stop yourself, and just get started. Decide to just go for it. Be stronger than your excuses. Decide that you want it more than you're afraid of it. You can do this! Action is the beginning of accomplishment. I promise it's worth it in the end. 

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Sparkle and Shine in the New Year

Here's a look at a sparkling NYE soiree I previously hosted! Click here to see more! What better occasion to bring gold, glitter, sequins and sweets to one party?! Oh and don't forget the sparkling cider to toast to a fabulous new year ahead!! Cheers to 2014, friends! Make it your best year yet!

Happy New Year! 

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Making the Most of A New Year

(I encouraged my guests at a NYE party to write some of their goals out, and pin them to a glittery, gold wall!)

Oh how I happily anticipate the arrival of a new year! It's a fresh start, a new opportunity and the beginning of a new chapter of life! (all cliches aside,) I so enjoy thinking about all I want to accomplish, and the fun memories to be made with friends and family! Do you set goals for the new year? Not resolutions, as those tend to quickly slip away after a short while, but real, measurable, and achievable goals for your life...it's often said that if you don't know where you're going, how will you ever expect to get there? In life we're either moving forward or going backwards, one is never truly standing still. If you haven't ever sat down, and written out some things you want to accomplish, whether it be this year, 5 years, 10 years, in your life..etc, I highly suggest it. It's so motivating to have a list of things to work towards, whether that is a particular career, degree, event or lifestyle. I challenge you to write out 10 things you want to accomplish within 2014, and place them somewhere you can see them everyday as a reminder of where you're headed, and what your focus is; life can throw us some big time distractions, and it's easy to get off focus, but when you see those goals, it can serve as a reminder to stay on track, stay focused, and you'll get the life you dream of! One of the things I like to do is to set a time each month to reevaluate my progress, and make any necessary adjustments in order to continue moving towards accomplishing the things I've set out to achieve. Maybe you didn't achieve all you'd hoped to last year, but I encourage you to leave the mistakes and disappointments of last year in the past, chalk it up to experience, learn from it, and move forward. This is a new year, make it yours! You've got this! Here's to an amazing 2014! What do you want to accomplish?

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Do Great Things

Every once in awhile I feel like we sometimes hit an autopilot mode, and it seems like we're just coasting through life...not going backwards, but also not accomplishing or achieving either. It's that dreaded neutral gear that seems so comfortable, but can be lethal to dreams and living a life of greatness, should we choose to continue on that path. You see, it's when we're pushing ourselves outside the known, outside of the comfortable, that's where the change happens...it's not the familiar that causes us to achieve, but rather the deliberate, daily decisions to change and to move ahead. This summer I was able to invest time in learning some key leadership principles that have truly shaped the way I live my life, and upon a recent reviewing of some notes, I came upon a list that was such a great reminder and catalyst for me to move out of what felt like an autopilot mode. It was so inspiring and motivating, I simply had to share in hopes that it may help you wherever you might be in life.

Keys to Accomplishment:

1. What gets talked about gets done. (Don't be afraid of repetition)

2. What gets trained for gets done. (When preparedness meets opportunity, success happens)

3. What gets measured gets done. (Tracking a goal increases momentum)

4. What gets budgeted gets done. (Both time & money)

5. What gets confronted gets done. (Accountability is key. Don't be afraid to ask yourself the hard questions)

6. What gets rewarded gets done. (Accomplishments should be celebrated)

Get out there and do great things! 

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#Instachallenge Friday

Ready for another instachallenge? We've been talking about enjoying life all week long, focusing on the positive, and looking for those moments or little things that make life sweet, so today I challenge you to instagram something that makes you smile. Make sure to hashtag it with #projectinspiredlife. It's so encouraging to look through and see those goals & dreams of yours, and now you can share with the community the things that make life fun. Can't wait to see what makes you happy!

Happy (Easter) weekend, everyone!

-Candice

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Coming Soon!!

Are you ready to go after those dreams you've always wanted, enjoy life to the very fullest & become the best you possible? It's time to leave behind old habits, embrace change for the better and live a life that is rewarding, energizing and exciting! 

You're not going to want to miss this incredible series beginning next week here on Teatime Thoughts...with amazing guest hosts, weekly giveaways and fun Instagram challenges, this is going to encourage, uplift, and inspire you to become your best self..and who doesn't want that?! 

Can't wait to see you back next week for the beginning of Project: Inspired! 

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Weekend Wanderings

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What an excellent way to begin the new year. Simply inspiring. 

Happy Weekend, everyone!

-Candice

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Celebrate: Sparkle & Shine New Year's Eve Party

A fabulous new year is just around the corner, and if you're like me, it's a perfect time to celebrate!  There's new beginnings, new dreams and goals, and a brand new month to start off right! Ready to plan your party? Here's a sparkly way to ring in the new year!!

 Dress up your drinks with fresh raspberries, and line up the stemware on a mirrored tray for an elegant touch! Printed gold foil coasters are a fun extra. 

 Feeling creative? Try a DIY decor project and create this glittering banner with some cardboard, glue and craft glitter. 

 After lots of holiday food, people are ready for something different. Give your guests an array of delicious, light appetizers and mini bites. You'll save on the prep time and cost. Here's some of my menu: Mediterranean Crostini, Pear Slices topped with goat cheese and cranberries, creamy Brie cheese with table crackers & honey, Macarons and other various desserts

 Table decor should reflect the whimsical and glamorous vibe of the holiday. There's no such thing as too much sparkle on New Year's Eve! To create the shimmering tablescape, I thrifted a bunch of mason jars and glass votives. Gold glitter gave the glass a glitzy update, and I added faux and real tea lights for extra shine. 

Hand-lettered placecards always add a personal touch, and one can never go wrong with gold flatware and chargers. Sequins and rhinestones sprinkled among the candles is a fun addition to the table. 

Writing down my goals for the new year is always something I enjoy..it's more than just a resolution; it's got a date and a plan of action behind it, which helps to motivate me in the achievement process. I encouraged my guests to also write down some things they'd like to accomplish, and we pinned them onto the sparkly gold wall! :)   

Cheers to the new year, everyone! 

Let's make this year the best one ever! 

See more of the party here

-Candice

Thanks to:

Photography: Jessica Overholt Photography

Models: Katie, Amy, Lauren, oh and me ;) haha

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Weekend Wanderings

Happy Weekend everyone! Maybe it's just me, but can you believe we're in August? Summer is just flying by, and I'm determined to make the most out of every day before it's time to be back in the swing of things again. I wanted to start off the weekend by announcing the winner of the Shabby Apple giveaway...

Congratulations to Taylor!

Send me an email and I'll get that gift card on it's way to you! :)

One thing I'm really focusing on is doing something of value or improvement in my own life everyday, maybe that's reading a book to learn something new, writing out goals for the new month or cleaning up my habit patterns in order to become more productive and efficient. It makes a world of difference, and challenges me to look for ways to improve and change to become better. This weekend I'm doing a lot of reading and planning for the month as well as for the fall..I want to make each and every day count. Want to take the challenge with me? Find a way to improve yourself everyday..you won't regret it!

Have a wonderful weekend! 

(p.s. Stay tuned for another fantastic giveaway coming up here next week! You won't want to miss it!!)

-Candice

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Resolutions That Work

(this photo was taken New Years..yes, of course I am in sequins)

With a new year, there's always the typical "new year's resolutions", but I'm really not an advocate for that kind of thing, mainly because I can't ever seem to stick with them. The average resolution lasts only 6 weeks..kinda sad, right? So, what I like to do is write out my goals for the year instead.

One of the best ways to find success is to write things down..especially anything you'd like to change or accomplish. A good friend of mine suggests writing down 8-10 things that you'd like to accomplish in the next year on an index card, in the present tense (like you've already achieved it.. ie: "I'm excited about my consistent gym routine 3 times a week, I'm happy to have straight A's in my classes this semester) and read it every morning and every night. Doing this, reads it into your mind, and then your mind will help you to begin taking the necessary steps to make things happen. It does take effort, though, as nothing can happen without the necessary action, but you can do it!! :)

 I've found that I've accomplished far more when I wrote things out and made it a point to look at it every time I'm getting ready in the morning, and right before I go to sleep. So just a thought as you begin the new year with renewed energy and resolve. Write out your goals...it will make a big difference! Here's to much success in 2012!

Happy Thursday,

Candice

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