Episode 43: Goal Setting for 2020 with Dr. Andrea Wilkinson

Episode 43: Goal Setting for 2020 with Dr. Andrea Wilkinson

Happy New Year’s Eve!

It is New Year’s Eve day and 2020 is just around the corner! We are about to start a new decade!

I always get excited about a new year, because it means that I get to start fresh. But, there has been a shift in my thinking over the last year. I start thinking about my new year’s goals when there are 90 days left in the year. This became an important part of my practice in 2018, because Oct 1, 2018 marks the date that I started running my company BrainShape full-time. I was no longer working as a postdoctoral research fellow. I had no other job to fall back on. I was officially working full-time as an entrepreneur and I had to figure out how to run a business. In Oct 2018, I knew that I couldn’t wait until Jan 1, 2019 to “start” working and growing my company. I wanted to launch into 2019 like a rocket ship that had already taken off and was gaining speed.

Goal Setting 90 Days BEFORE Jan 1st

Ever since Oct 2018, I always start thinking about my goals and getting the ball rolling on my ambitions 90 days before the new year starts. Of course, I have done this again this year and – in October 2019 - I officially launched the beta-round of my 90-day brain optimization program: The Brain Vitality Blueprint. BvB is a 1-on-1, highly customized, 90-day brain optimization program for adults who want to improve their memory, cognition & physical vitality. In BvB, you’ll learn the step-by-step process for putting all of the puzzle pieces of brain health together in a way that is meaningful for you & your everyday life. Get the support, guidance & accountability you need to execute on your health goals.

Launching my 1-on-1 coaching program was a HUGE step for me, and it forced me to take risks and get out of my comfort zone.

But, this new year’s eve is extra special because it marks the beginning of a new decade. But, before you start thinking about what you want to accomplish in the next 10 years, it is important to take a step back and think about what you have accomplished in the last 10 years. Write it down!

 For me, the last 10 years have been incredible:  

  • I got my PhD in psychology and became a doctor.

  • I have done a lot of work on myself and grown a lot on a personal and emotional level – which was not always the most pleasant, but from where I’m standing now, it was all worth it. It didn’t happen over night though – true change takes time, dedication, self-acceptance, guidance and a whole lot of patience.

  • I started my company BrainShape.ca and host a weekly podcast!

  • Within the last year, I have become very intentional about taking care of my health. I’m exercising regularly, eating well, drinking all of the water, trying to be very cognizant about what stressors I allow into my life and how I spend my energy. I’m unapologetically taking care of myself and it feels really good!

If I think about my accomplishments in the last 10 years, it literally takes my breath away and it reminds me of a Bill Gates quote: “Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”

The last 10 years are evidence that I can do big things when I set my mind to it and this type of positive thinking gets me all sorts of excited when I think about what I want to accomplish in the next year and the next 10 years.

The first step toward achieving your goals is to know where you’re headed. Again – you need to WRITE IT DOWN! Make it tangible!

What goals do you have for the next year, the next 5-years and the next 10-years?

  • What do you want to achieve?

  • What good habits do you want to create?

  • What bad habits do you want to get rid of?

  • How do you want to feel?

  • Who do you want to be?

Write it down, make it real and visualize it all happening it vivid DETAIL!

Being explicit about your goals is a very important step towards ultimately achieving them. Another important step in achieving your goals is crafting them in the right way. What do I mean by this? Well – you need to create SMART goals. The type of goals are SPECIFIC, MEASUREABLE, ACHIEVABLE, REALISTIC and TIME-BOUND.

FREE Tool: Brain Boosting Starter Kit

To help you write down and a specify your own SMART goals, I have created a FREE tool for you that I would like to share. It is called the Brain Boosting Starter Kit and you can download it for free by visiting my website www.BrainShape.ca and scrolling down to near the bottom of the homepage. You will see “FREE BRAIN BOOSTING STARTER KIT GIVEAWAY.” All you have to do is enter your name and email address, and the PDF will be available for you to download right away.

It is called the “Brain Boosting Starter Kit” because it is a tool that I designed to help you optimize your brain health goals, and, in order to do that you need to have a strategy! This starter kit will act as a guide, so that you can make your own plan to prioritize and boost your brain health in 2020.

An important starting point in planning our your goals for 2020 and strategizing on how it is that you are going to get there, is looking back at what you have accomplished in the last 12-months and deciding how to move the needle over the next 12-months. In the Brain Boosting Starter Kit you will be asked to list out your top 3 accomplishments from the last year.  Go ahead and think about it… for me, it would have to be:

  • Starting the BrainShape Podcast (March 2019) and publishing a new episode every single week! Starting and running a weekly podcast is hard work – but, it has been incredibly rewarding to see that people are tuning in from all over the world!

  • Investing in myself and taking a business course on how to run and scale an online business. It was extremely scary to invest in an online program and trust someone that I only knew through the online world. But, it was the BEST decision I have ever made for the growth of my business and I met so many incredible, like-minded and supportive people through taking this course. So, I’m so grateful for getting out of my own way and taking the leap to invest in a program that would help give me a structure and the support I needed to achieve my goals.

  • Up-leveling my fitness routine and being dedicated to endless learning about optimizing my own health and wellness. As brain health coach, I’m constantly improving myself, so that I can be the best teacher for you.

So, now that you know where you are (where you are starting from) – you can start to envision where you want to go.  Think about what you want to achieve in the NEXT 12-months. In December 2020, what do you want to be true? What accomplishments have you achieved? Write it down as if it has already happened. For me, it would be:

  •  I have at least 1 employee (I need help in my business and I’m not ashamed to say it.  Having help is also necessary for growth and expansion. And growth and expansion means that I can help more people.

  • I am helping X number of people with BvB: Brain Vitality Blueprint – my 1-on-1, highly customized, 90-day brain optimization program for adults who want to improve their memory, cognition & physical vitality. In BvB, you’ll learn the step-by-step process for putting all of the puzzle pieces of brain health together in a way that is meaningful for you & your everyday life. Get the support, guidance & accountability you need to execute on your health goals.

  • I am a leaner and stronger version of myself. Continue my own personal health journey.

 To increase your chances of success, think about your goals in 6-month chunks. What do you want to have accomplished in the first 6-months of 2020 and in the last 6-months of 2020. And also revisit your goals to see how you’re doing and update, revise and tweak - as needed. Don’t give up on your goals. If you fail or miss a target – identify what went wrong and REVISE as necessary. Reviewing your goals at regular intervals gives you an opportunity to COURSE CORRECT, as needed.

 Creating SMART Goals

When creating goals (of any kind), they must be clear and well-defined. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound.

To learn more about the Brain Boosting Starter Kit and to download your FREE copy of this tool, head to www.brainshape.ca. Scroll down to near the bottom of the homepage until you see “Free Brain Boosting Starter Kit Giveaway!”, insert your name and email address and you’ll get access to the PDF and can start creating your own SMART goals for 2020 right away.

Conclusion

Your dreams are YOURS – so, you have the do the work. You have to make the moves to realize your goals and your dreams. If you want to prioritize your health (mind and body) in 2020 – it is on you. You have to make the decision to change your life, you have to make the efforts and enact change.

Remember that achieving your goals is an ongoing process. It isn’t just “set your goals and forget it.” The process is ongoing. Your goals need to be evaluated and revised along the way.