Author: Cristal Victoria

5 Tips for Setting Healthy New Year’s Resolutions

With the New Year upon us, it is officially goal setting season! Did you know that while 41% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, only ~9% of them feel they are successful in keeping them? This doesn’t mean we should stop making resolutions; rather, we need to be smarter when developing them. Here are five tips that will help you set healthy New Year’s resolutions that you will see through to the finish!

1. Focus on What’s Most Important

It is easy to get carried away when setting New Year’s resolutions. From health and wellness goals to academic achievement and career advancements, the sky is the limit when thinking about ways you can improve your quality of life over the next 12 months. However, to see your goals through to the finish, it is best practice not to set more than you can manage. In fact, Entrepreneur and Lifehack suggest choosing only one habit or area of your life to focus on. This will allow you to spend the time and effort that is necessary to make real change. Then, once you’re successful, you can either build upon that change or direct your focus towards a new endeavor.

“Remember that real change takes time, effort and patience. According to research from University College London, it takes about 66 days to completely break an old habit, and it can take much longer to master something new.” – Entrepreneur.com

Once you become a seasoned goal setter, you may be able to take on more at once. One way to achieve this is to not limit yourself to one goal setting session for the entire year. Try setting fewer goals at the onset of the year and refreshing your intentions every quarter (or even once a month). While too many goals at once can result in burnout, a few new goals each quarter may provide just the vigor and motivation you need to get you to the finish line.

2. Set Goals with Intention

Many people set New Year’s resolutions, but are they the right resolutions? Your resolutions should align with your intentions. An intention is the meaning behind your actions. To see if your resolution and your intention align, try using the ‘three whys’. When you set a goal, ask yourself ‘why’ you selected this goal. Then, ask yourself ‘why’ to your response. Finally, ask ‘why’ a third time to the second response. Do your answers align with your original intention? Let’s consider this example:

A student’s intention is to get into his dream college. And so, he set a resolution to study for two hours every school night. Does this align? Let’s see:

1st Why: Why do you want to study 2 hours every school night?

Response: I want to get better grades.

2nd Why: Why do you want better grades?

Response: I want to improve my GPA?

3rd Why: Why do you want to improve your GPA?

Response: I want to be a competitive candidate for my dream college.

Does this align?  Maybe and maybe not. In this example, the student should research all the factors that College Admissions Officers consider when reviewing applications (ACT scores, essays, recommendation letters, extracurricular activities, etc.). He also should know what the average GPA is for students at his dream school and how his current GPA measures up. Finally, he should consider if there are specific subjects that he is struggling with that may have a bigger impact on his GPA than others. Would studying two hours on his own truly improve these grades, or would tutoring be more effective? This resolution may require further development.

“To the person who does not know where he wants to go there is no favorable wind.” — Seneca

By using the ‘three whys’, important questions will come to light and help you refine your resolution. When you dig deep and find the right goal, you are more likely to stick with it.

3. Make your Goals S.M.A.R.T.

Once you have found the right goal, you want to tighten it up by writing it in S.M.A.R.T. format. The S.M.A.R.T. acronym stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound.

To stay focused and motivated, your goal should be clear and specific. When drafting your goals, MindTools recommends asking yourself the five “W” questions: What do I want to accomplish, why is this goal important, who is involved, where is it located, and which resources or limits are involved? If you set a vague goal such as ‘I want to be healthier’, you may get frustrated trying to decide where to begin. 

“Stop setting goals. Goals are pure fantasy unless you have a specific plan to achieve them.” — Stephen Covey

Your goals should also be measurable. By adding a unit of measurement, you ensure you will know when you’ve accomplished your goal. You can measure your goal with a number (I want to lose 15 pounds), a date (By July 12th, I will be able to run 5 miles), or a percentage (By the end of the year, I’ll complete 80% of my online course).

Attainability is also important when deciding on your goals. Consider your time and resources when choosing your New Year’s resolutions. If there is just not enough time in the day to get something done, edit your goal to make it more reasonable or chunk it into smaller ones that can be completed within your chosen timeframe. Don’t forget to also consider other factors as well, including cost and the amount of physical space required. 

Relevance ties into Tip # 1 and #2. Your goal must matter to you and align with your true intentions. Your goals should not only drive you forward—they should drive you forward in the right direction. Ask yourself if your goal will be worth the effort and if it is the right time to try and tackle it.

Finally, goals should be time bound, meaning they have an end date. While many New Year’s resolutions stretch across a full calendar year, remember that goals can be set quarterly, monthly, weekly, or even daily! However, if you do not achieve your goal by the end date, do not change the date. Rather, reflect and assess why you did not meet the target. Then, set a new goal that you can pursue after rectifying your shortcomings.   

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” —Confucius

4. Break Down Lofty Goals

Now that you’ve narrowed down your resolutions, aligned them with your intentions, and made them into S.M.A.R.T. goals, it is time to chunk them into manageable steps. This is where the ‘attainable’ piece of S.M.A.R.T. really comes into play. You do not achieve goals all at once—you work towards them slowly but effectively. Little by little, you can build habits and make progress.

“The only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.” — Michelle Obama

If your resolution is to get more fit (with a S.M.A.R.T. goal of completing 200 weight training sessions by December 31st), your steps in January may be to: 1) purchase a weight set, 2) make a workout video playlist on YouTube, 3) register for personal training sessions at your gym, and 4) start with two weight training sessions a week. The following month, once you’ve learned weight training basics and mastered your form, you may up your sessions to 4 times a week and start adding a weekly yoga class to stretch and rest your muscles. In short, there are many different avenues you can take when breaking down your resolutions into action steps. When mapping out your plan, refer to the S.M.A.R.T. acronym and always stay true to your original intention.   

5. Manifest Using Imagery

We are nearly to the finish line! With intentional resolutions and a S.M.A.R.T. action plan, it is now time to manifest your success using imagery. That’s right, I am talking about a vision board! A vision board is a visual representation of your goals. Psychology Today writes, “A vision board is usually a collage of images that represent goals and dreams. It can include cut-out pictures from magazines and words that help inspire you to manifest your dreams and get where you want to go.” Vision boards help you imagine what success with your resolutions looks like. This serves as a motivational tool and a reminder of what’s to come if you stay focused and dedicated to your goals.

“Some of the world’s most influential thought leaders—Deepak Chopra, Gabrielle Bernstein, and Oprah, for starters—all agree: It’s wholly possible to turn your dreams into reality. It’s called manifestation. Well, that and hard work.” – Oprah Daily

To make a vision board, gather your inspiration. In other words, collect images and words that evoke a visual representation of your goals and collage them together onto one poster board. These can come from online printouts, magazine clippings, photographs, stickers, postcards, or any other materials that represent your goals. You can also create a digital vision board on your computer, phone, or tablet using Photoshop, Canva, or other graphic design tools. Once your vision board is complete, put it in a place where you will see it often, such as your bedroom wall or the desktop on your computer. This will keep your resolutions on your mind year-round.

CVC Goal Setting Tools

Are you ready to get started on your New Year’s resolutions? Cristal Victoria Consulting is here to get you on track! Here are the tools I recommend for those developing their New Year’s goals:

The Goal Setting Vision Bundle: Many people set goals, but are they setting the right goals? The Cristal Victoria Consulting (CVC) Vision Bundle guides individuals in setting SMART end goals that are personalized to get them where they want to be. The bundle includes the My Reality, My Legacy, and My Destiny activities.

S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting Tools: This S.M.A.R.T. Goal set walks individuals through building S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timebound), and includes a blank template for recording up to 10 goals. The set can be used independently or as a planner insert with an existing system.

It is that time of year…

Have you ever suffered from goal fatigue? It is always around this time of year that my eyes and mind start wandering. The goalsetting gusto I had in January starts to fade and I begin thinking about the goals and planners I want next year. *Insert planner girl sigh here.*

As an avid goal setter and annual planner, I wondered what might be causing this goal fatigue. Why do I start thinking about the year ahead before I have completed my current goals? In this post, I identified some of the possible causes of goal fatigue. I also list some solutions that can help you beat goal fatigue once and for all!

What causes goal fatigue?

Comfortability

For annual planners, the start of autumn is an indication that the end of the current goal window is approaching. New Year’s resolutions set in January should be wrapping up in the new few months. Even though you’re proud of the valuable progress you have made so far, goals may not feel as sparkly and exciting after they have been your focus for the past 9 months. You may have even completed several of your yearly goals already, leaving yourself daydreaming about next steps.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say you have become bored with your goals…if you’ve chosen the right ones, they are still important to you. However, you may have become comfortable with your current goals. You’ve found your flow, been working on them awhile now, and know exactly how you’ll complete them by the end of year. There are pros and cons to this comfortability. On the positive end, you are on track to accomplish what you set out to do. On the other hand, you may feel a bit of goal fatigue and yearn for some big, new, scary goals that will help you take the next step.

Planner Launch Season

In addition to comfortability, you have a million planner launches to worry about. Fall is planner launch season for many stationary companies. Ads promoting new planner collections are everywhere—they might as well be tattooed on your eyelids! There is no escape from the sneak peeks, cover reveals, and new product buzz across all social media platforms. Now, it is a known fact that consumerism has been flagged as an issue in the planner community for some time, but that is a problem for another post. It is, however, worth mentioning, that seeing beautiful new products online can have you forgetting your current planner and clicking ‘add to cart’ just like *snap* that.

How can you beat goal fatigue?

Don’t Fight Yourself

I recently discovered the best way to beat goal fatigue: don’t fight your ideas! That’s right. If you find yourself thinking of possible goals for 2022, grab a pen and start jotting down your ideas. Thinking ahead is not a distraction. Rather, it can help you make valuable connections between the hard work you put in this year and the things you want to do next.  This can in turn add some fuel to your tank when it comes to wrapping up the calendar year.

Quarterly Refreshes

Doing a quarterly refresh with your goals will help you keep them updated, relevant, and exciting. You may choose to add goals to your list during these refreshes or edit existing goals as you hone in on what truly matters. Either way, allowing yourself to make necessary adjustments along the way can keep you dialed in on the present.

Did someone say, ‘no spend’?

You may think it is unrealistic to have a ‘no spend’ during launch season, but hear me out! New products are not the cure to goal fatigue. It is easy to let excitement get the better of you when new products are released by your favorite brands; however, waiting until November or December to purchase your planner may be the best option. Before purchasing a planner, it is important to ensure that it will effectively meet all your needs. How do you know what your needs are if you have yet to reflect on the current year?  For example, if you struggled tracking your 2021 fitness goals using a bullet journal, a more structured hourly planner may turn out to be a more suitable choice. Avoid ordering products you may not need to fill a void that a good goal refresh or brainstorming session could rectify.

End the year strong

There is no denying that an autumn lull often precedes the excitement of new year goal setting. This goal fatigue is common, but it shouldn’t stop you from ending the year strong! Refresh your current goals, ensure that you are still on track to reach them, and have fun brainstorming your next steps. Think about the planners and tools that will get you where you want to be next year, but if you have any hesitation, hold off on buying them just yet. You may decide to make a change!

I hope you found this post helpful! Do you have any other tips and tricks for beating goal fatigue? Share them with me on Instagram @cristalvictoria.

If there is one thing a planner should not skip, it is taking time each week to plan out the basics.  Why take the time to do this? Planning at the onset of each week can help you stick to a routine, build healthy habits and memory, manage your time, and progress on your goals! In 5 easy steps, you can take control of your time and ensure that it is being well spent on the things that matter most to you.

Planner Tip: These steps work best in an hourly planner—either paper or digital. If you are looking for a great hourly planner, you can use code CRISTAL10 to save 10% on Passion Planner. For digital planners, I recommend Google Calendar.

1. Time-Block Commitments

The first step to take when planning your week is to block out necessary commitments. This would include your work schedule, your children’s sports, lessons, and activities, and any other personal or professional appointments and meetings you have planned for the week. To designate these time blocks, you can outline or frame them, use a color-coding system, label the start time and draw a downward arrow to the ending time, or find any other system that works for you.

2. Make Time for Big Rocks

After your mandatory commitments are blocked, scan your remaining availability. Where your schedule allows, make time for your big rocks (or the other items that are most important to you). This may include quality family time,  date nights, workouts, church, creative projects, or self-care. This is an important second step. It is crucial to make time for these rocks before you fill your schedule with less important tasks that could have been done another time. You can use the same method as step one to designate these time blocks or try something new!

3. Add Important Dates

Once your big rocks are squared away, check your monthly calendar to ensure that you have identified all important dates occurring that week, such as birthdays, school festivities, and holidays. There may not always be a special date to add, but building the habit of checking weekly will keep you from forgetting anything.

4. Add Weekly To-Do’s

To-do lists may not the most fun part of planning your week, but they are an important part of adulting. Items on a to-do list are not big rocks, but are important and must get done. Weekly to-do list items could include calling a plumber, getting your car detailed, grocery shopping, cleaning, or home projects. You may also need another to-do list for work-related tasks. As you start your week, do not sacrifice ‘big rock time’ for your weekly to-do’s. Keep your rock time as sacred as your mandatory commitments.

5. Bonus: Add Weekly Goals

If you stop your weekly planning session after step four, you are already set up for a successful, productive week. However, you can give your week a supercharge by adding in weekly goals. Tie these weekly goals to your yearly goals to ensure you are making meaningful progress over time. Examples of weekly goals are organizing your monthly budget, trying two new healthy recipes, going on three morning runs, or reading a chapter of your book each night. If you do decide to list one or more weekly goals,  be sure that they are S.M.A.R.T. goals that can be easily tracked.

Following these simple steps will leave you feeling organized and energized! You will also have some peace of mind knowing that everything is scheduled and nothing will be forgotten. If you have not tried planning out your week before, let me know how these steps work for you!

Holding Yourself Accountable to Achieving your Goals

Business experts including Forbes and Entrepreneur agree that accountability is the key to achieving your goals. Whether you are building a culture of accountability within your organization or looking to achieve your personal goals, incorporating accountability tools into your goal setting process will improve your performance and overall success. In this article, I review the definition of accountability and identify three practices you can use to hold yourself accountable for achieving your goals.

What is Accountability & Why is it Important?

On a personal level, accountability is defined as an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility for one’s actions. Within an organization, creating a culture of accountability means setting a common expectation and holding people to it by clearly defining the company’s mission, core values, and goals. Accountability promotes ownership and confidence by teaching individuals to take pride in their work and stand behind their results—whether those results are good or bad. As a result, there is a higher level of trust within a community or organization when you foster a culture of accountability. Individuals will either own up to their mistakes and try to improve or take pride in their achievements and continue to produce strong results.

Accountability also improves overall performance. If someone commits to results and shares this commitment with others, he or she is more likely to follow through on those commitments. A study from The American Society of Training and Development reported that having a specific accountability appointment with another individual increases the chance of completing one’s goal by up to 95%. ASTD made the following conclusions:

·         Having an idea or goal: 10% likely to complete the goal

·         Consciously deciding that you will do it: 25% completion

·         Deciding when you will do it: 40% completion

·         Planning how to do it: 50% completion

·         Committing to someone that you will do it: 65% completion

·         Having a specific accountability appointment with someone you’ve committed to: 95% completion

I refer to this person as an accountabilibuddy. An accountabilibuddy knows what goals you are pursuing and checks in with you regularly to see if you are on or off track. During this accountability check-in, it is important to reflect on areas of strength and weakness and solidify next steps.

How Can I Hold Myself Accountable?

To hold yourself accountable to achieving your goals, it is important to set clear expectations, measure your progress, and review your results.

1.       Set Clear Goals with High Expectations

A system of accountability is not developed by setting a low bar (or moving the bar lower when things get tough). Rather, it is created by setting the bar high and developing S.M.A.R.T goals that will help you reach it. To review, the S.M.A.R.T. acronym stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound (for more on S.M.A.R.T. goals, refer to my post on Setting Healthy New Year’s Resolutions). To hold yourself accountable, set exciting and challenging goals that are clear and quantifiable. That way, once the time comes to evaluate yourself, there is no gray area or room for excuses.

CVC Tools: To set clear, S.M.A.R.T. goals, download the Cristal Victoria Consulting Goal Setting Vision Bundle or S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting tool set.

2.       Measure Progress

Once you have your S.M.A.R.T. goals, it is important to track your progress over time. Set benchmarks for yourself by breaking your goals down into smaller action steps. It would be a shame to get to your deadline and realize you’ve just missed the mark when you could have addressed issues before hand. I recommend daily, weekly, or monthly progress checks, depending on the goal in question. If you have a goal to increase your daily steps, checking your pedometer/fitness app and recording your steps daily may be the best route to take. If you have a weight loss goal, weighing in once a week may make for sense for you. If you have a goal of reading 50 books within the year, checking progress once a month may be most appropriate.

CVC Tools: The Cristal Victoria Goal Setting Traction Bundle includes a tracker for every personality type. Try a variety of habit trackers to see what works best for you or download the Goal Atlas Tool (my personal favorite) that lets you record daily, weekly, and monthly progress all on one page!

3.       Review Results

Sit down with an accountabilibuddy regularly to review your results. Celebrate your wins, address your weaknesses, and make a plan to achieve your desired outcome. Depending on the goals you’ve set, accountabilibuddy check-ins can be quarterly, monthly, weekly, or even daily.

CVC Tools: The Cristal Victoria Accountabilibuddy Questionnaire asks questions that will help you and your buddy dig into your goal progress and maintain momentum. The Accountability set includes 10 questions designed to get you back on track when you are not getting the results you desire.

There you have it! Setting clear expectations, measuring your progress, and reviewing your results are the best ways to hold yourself (and your tribe) accountable. For more goal setting tips and tricks, follow @cristalvictoria on Instagram and visit the Cristal Victoria Shop to pick up your tools today!

What is emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to understand, express, and manage one’s emotions. Emotional intelligence also encompasses one’s capacity to handle interpersonal relationships carefully and empathetically. With strong emotional intelligence, you can build strong relationships, achieve your personal and professional goals, make sound decisions, communicate effectively, use problem solving skills, and even preform more successfully academically and professionally. Who wouldn’t want that?  

Helpguide.org breaks down emotional intelligence into four components: self-management, self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship management. Self-management is the ability to control your emotions and actions, adapt, and follow through on commitments. Self-awareness is being conscious of your feelings and thoughts and how they motivate your behavior. Social awareness is your ability to empathize with others and pick up on emotional and social cues. Finally, having strong relationship management skills means you can develop and maintain strong relationships, use teamwork, and manage conflict. Together, these skills are referred to as emotional intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence & Goalsetting

So, why is emotional intelligence important? In short, having a strong EQ is the key to achieving success in life. Having a high intelligence quotient (IQ) alone does not guarantee success. While your IQ helps you with your academics, forming successful relationships and managing your emotions are part of your EQ. Emotional intelligence affects your school and work performance, physical and mental health, and your relationships. It is also an important factor when it comes to following through on your goals.

According to Jennifer Shirkani, author and EQ expert, “emotional intelligence is a critical factor in effective goal setting that is often forgotten.” Here are some ways having strong EI can help you reach your goals:

Self-Awareness

When setting goals, it is important to know your own limitations and practice self-awareness. As you write S.M.A.R.T. goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound), think of what goals are reasonable and attainable. While setting goals that stretch and challenge you is good practice, attempting to do too much too soon may lead to frustration and demotivation.

Relationships

Relationship management is another important factor when goalsetting, especially when you are working on a team. Practice empathy when assisting colleagues who are struggling formulating their S.M.A.R.T. goals. Try to see issues from others’ point of view. If necessary, decide how timescales can be adjusted or resources can be reallocated to help your teammate reach success. It is also important to hold others on your team accountable through accountability partnerships. Inc.com writes, “Using situational awareness, find opportunities to articulate your goals to others who can both challenge you if they see you slipping and support you when you need it.”

Self-Management

Keep your emotions in check when working towards your goals by celebrating your wins. Not reaching a target can be discouraging. When feeling defeated, focus on what you have accomplished and “use that positive emotion to fuel confidence and maintain momentum” (Inc.com). Recognizing your progress and staying positive will keep you going even when the going gets tough. Build your self-management skills by practicing mindfulness, expressing gratitude, and keeping a growth mindset.

Cristal Victoria Consulting (CVC) & EQ

What CVC tools can help you build your EQ?

• Build Self-Awareness Skills: S.M.A.R.T. Goal

This S.M.A.R.T. Goal set walks individuals through building S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timebound), and includes a blank template for recording up to 10 goals. The set can be used independently or as a planner insert with an existing system. This is a great instructional template for those new to goal setting.

• Build Relationship Management Skills: Accountabilibuddy Set

There is no doubt about it—accountability accelerates your performance. Studies show that your odds of completing a goal are substantially increased if you make a commitment to someone. While you may not be comfortable with publicly broadcasting your goals, sharing them with at least one trusted individual is highly recommended. We call this individual your accountabilibuddy. The CVC Accountabilibuddy Questionnaire includes an accountability guide and 10-question questionnaire to use with your goal accountabilibuddy on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis.

• Build Self-Management Skills: Goal Atlas Tracker

This Goal Setting Tool & Planner Insert is designed to help individuals track their monthly goals as well as weekly and daily habits. The template also allows gives users space to write down their priority for the month and notes. Use the notes section to celebrate your wins for the month!

Visit the Cristal Victoria shop for more goal setting tools!

“You Are a Badass” by Jen Sincero is a dynamic and empowering self-help book that lives up to its title. With an engaging writing style and a no-nonsense approach to personal growth, Sincero delivers a dose of motivation that can help anyone unleash their inner badass.

Sincero’s book is chock-full of inspirational gems that resonate deeply with readers. One of my favorite quotes from the book is, “Our fantasies are the most revealing peepholes into who we are and what we think is awesome. No matter how out-there and ridiculous they may seem, they mean something to us, and usually represent our biggest and best versions of ourselves.” This quote underscores the importance of embracing our wildest dreams and desires as a reflection of our true selves. Sincero encourages readers to dare to dream big, to acknowledge their desires without judgment, and to use them as powerful tools for personal transformation.

Another standout quote from the book is, “Lame, vague goals are the best ways to live a lame, vague life.” This statement is a wake-up call for anyone who has settled for mediocrity or been hesitant to pursue their passions. Sincero reminds us that setting specific, ambitious goals is the key to leading a life filled with purpose and excitement. Her message is clear: it’s time to ditch the ordinary and aim for the extraordinary.

One of the book’s unique strengths is its focus on manifesting money. Sincero emphasizes the importance of writing specific mantras to manifest financial abundance. She not only provides practical steps for changing one’s mindset about money but also guides readers in crafting personal mantras that align with their financial goals. This approach ties seamlessly into the broader theme of manifestation and goal setting.

Sincero’s teachings on manifestation and goal setting are at the core of “You Are a Badass.” She encourages readers to embrace the power of positive thinking, visualization, and self-affirmation. By fostering a mindset of abundance and self-belief, Sincero believes we can attract the opportunities and resources needed to achieve our goals.

What sets this book apart is Sincero’s relatability. She openly shares her own journey of self-discovery, complete with the ups and downs, which makes her advice feel genuine and attainable. She doesn’t preach from an ivory tower but speaks from the trenches, which makes her a trustworthy guide on the path to personal growth and empowerment.

In summary, “You Are a Badass” is a refreshing and transformative read that encourages readers to break free from self-limiting beliefs, pursue their dreams, and manifest the life they desire. Jen Sincero’s wit, wisdom, and practical advice make this book a must-read for anyone seeking to revitalize their self-confidence, set and achieve meaningful goals, and embrace their inner badass. Whether you’re looking to transform your financial situation or simply want to cultivate a more empowered mindset, this book offers valuable insights and tools to help you on your journey to greatness.