Taking it to the Next Level in 2021

2020 has been a historic year. It has caused worldwide disruptions in a way that none of us ever imagined possible. I spoke with an 80-year-old relative, and she told me that she has never seen a year that has been a hard as this one in all her life. What we are living through has genuinely been unprecedented.

Nevertheless, it is over, and with 2020 gone, we can start 2021 with a fresh perspective. Why not take 2021 to the next level? 2020 caught us off guard, but we can prepare for 2021 and make it our own.

Dream Big

What have you always wanted to do that you have never allowed yourself to do? After entering the world of writing five years ago, I started talking to many people who told me it had always been their dream to write a novel. I met aspiring poets and novelists, who all told me the same thing.

Why not take the plunge in 2021? With fewer social events and travel, we will have more time to work on projects and goals. 2020 presented unique and different challenges for each person, but if you found any extra time, I recommend finding ways to take advantage of it.

As busy as we are, we rarely sit down and think about our goals and without planning, we will never reach those objectives. I encourage you to take the time to brainstorm and think of what you want.

• What have you always dreamed of but have never gotten around to doing?

• What would you ideally love to do?

• What dream project have you started but have been unable to finish?

Impossible Goals

One of my favorite concepts is the impossible goal: a far-reaching objective that will take you to the next level. It is achievable, but it is so ambitious that it is perfectly understandable if you did not achieve it. Yet despite that permission to fail, you are so engaged by its idea that it helps pull you through the obstacles.

This concept is how I have been able to launch some of my boldest goals. What follows is an excerpt from a blog I wrote and published in 2018:

I have been setting and completing impossible goals for myself since 2016:

2016: Read 50 books in a year.

I combined contemporary books with some of the classics, and I have continued reading 50 books or more a year. If I hadn’t set the goal to read 50 books, I would have never been able to change my habits.

2017: Start this blog.

I had a hard time getting it off the ground, but with the help of my peer coaching group, I launched it in September 2017.

2018: Write a children’s book.

I wrote three different children’s stories until I was finally satisfied. In the final months of the year, I hired an illustrator, and the book is now finished. Alicia and Bunnie Paint a Mural will be published in early 2019 in English and Spanish.

2019: Write a nonfiction book, which I will publish in 2020.

Wish me luck.

In 2019, I published my children’s book and wrote my nonfiction book, but I am not publishing it in 2020 due to the circumstances. The goal for 2020 shifted to creating a marketing platform for my readers.

As a result, my impossible goal for 2021 will be to publish my nonfiction book.

What will your impossible goal be? Choose one that will take your life in a direction you have always wanted it to go in. Make sure you are inspired by it and make a plan so you achieve it. Happy 2021! And best of luck with your goals!

For more resources on goals, see:

An Impossible Goal This Year Will Make You Achieve Amazing Results

Setting Goals and What That Means for Your Growth

Reflecting on Last Year and Setting Goals for the New Year

Creating Goals for the New Year Ahead