Preparing for 2023 and Beyond

Introduction

It’s saying something that I’m writing this article three years before it will be published, but it’s true: In order for you to achieve your goals, you need a solid plan. And the best way to create an actionable plan is by creating a vision statement and breaking down your goals into manageable steps, one by one. If you don’t want to wait until 2023 for this guide (or if you’re already sick of waiting), skip ahead to the next section!

Where do you want to be in three years?

By the time 2026 rolls around, you’ll be entering your third year of this plan. You’ll have been exposed to a ton of new ideas and ways of thinking during this time. It may seem like it’s too soon to start thinking about what you want your career trajectory to look like after 2020, but now is the perfect time to set some goals for yourself.

Asking yourself where you want to be in three years isn’t just about your career—it’s also an opportunity for personal reflection on what kind of life you’re leading right now. Take some time today and every day until January 1st, 2023 (and even after), and write down all the things that are important to both your professional and personal lives:

• What do I want out of my career?
• How much money do I need or desire?
• What sort of work environment am I looking for? Is it important for me to work with people or alone? How many hours per week do I need/want/can afford working outside my home office? Are there any skillsets I need in order for this project/job description even exist (for example: marketing resources)?

What are your top five life goals?

• What are your top five life goals?
• Be specific. This is not a time for fuzzy objectives, but rather well-defined targets that you can work toward and measure your progress along the way.
• Be realistic. Don’t set goals so high that you’re likely to fail in reaching them, as this will only lead to disappointment and frustration in the long run.
• Be ambitious, but not unrealistic: There’s no point setting up a goal if it’s beyond what you’re capable of achieving; however, there’s also little point in setting an objective that doesn’t challenge or excite you enough to motivate action right away (and over time).

What are your top five business goals?

You can use this step as a way to think about where you want your business to be in the future. Some examples of business goals:

• Become more profitable
• Increase revenue by 10% every year
• Double your customer base by 2020
• Improve customer satisfaction scores by 20% within 6 months

Why do you want to achieve each of these goals? What’s the driving force?

• Why do you want to achieve this goal?
• What is the driving force behind your goal?
• What do you hope to achieve by accomplishing this goal?
• Is this important to you? Why or why not?

Write your vision statement.

A vision statement is a clear articulation of your core values and what you want for yourself and the world. It’s a guide for your life and work, one that can help you live with intentionality and purpose.

Your vision statement should be written in the present tense, as if it’s already happened (e.g., “I am a respected leader in my field” or “I have achieved financial independence by 2023”). This will help keep it tangible, encourage action toward making it happen, and improve its effectiveness as a motivator.

Create an action plan for each goal. Start with your most important goal and work your way down.

• Create an action plan for each goal. Start with your most important goal and work your way down.
• Don’t be afraid to start small and then build on your successes. For example, if you want to improve your career by getting promoted, begin by writing a short version of the resume that you would like to have when you apply for the position. Then, write out a longer version of that resume that includes all the skills and experiences you have accumulated over time in order to get yourself ready for this promotion. It may seem daunting at first (and it will be), but breaking down these larger tasks into smaller ones can help take some of the pressure off!
• Don’t worry about what other people are doing—focus on your own goals! There will always be someone who has achieved more than us or who has more money than us; however, we don’t know what their journey was like or how long it took them! Remember: You only live once so do what makes YOU happy!!!

Document the resources you need to accomplish these goals. Do you need money or assets? How about help from friends, staff or experts?

• Document the resources you need to accomplish these goals. Do you need money or assets? How about help from friends, staff or experts?
• Determine how much it will cost to acquire the resources needed.
• Create a plan for getting those resources into your possession: How do you plan on raising money? What kind of training will be required to get better at the things that matter most in your life?

Determine what skills you must acquire to reach your goals. Are there certifications or trainings that could help you get there faster?

• Determine what skills you must acquire to reach your goals. Are there certifications or trainings that could help you get there faster?
• Ask yourself: What kind of jobs do I want in 2023? Where am I going to work, and how can I get there?

You can achieve more when you actually write out a plan and break everything down into small, manageable steps.

You can achieve more when you actually write out a plan and break everything down into small, manageable steps.

• Write down your goals. If the idea of writing down goals makes you uncomfortable, start with something small—the tip of the iceberg—like “I will work out three times per week” or “I will organize my closet once every three months.” Once those are in place, take it further with something bigger: “I will save $3,000 for emergency expenses this year” or “I’ll try to go on at least two dates a month by 2020.”
• Break them down into smaller chunks. If it’s too overwhelming to think about achieving all your big dreams at once, focus on making progress toward each individual goal rather than trying to tackle everything at once! Maybe that means setting aside an hour each weeknight after work instead of watching Netflix until bedtime; maybe that means deciding where you want to go out instead of just going wherever whenever someone else is paying; maybe that means saving up enough money so that when someone asks if they can borrow $100 next month (and they always ask), there’s no question about whether or not it’s possible because having an extra $100 saved up means never having to say no again!
• Set deadlines for each milestone along the way—and then stick with them! This helps keep momentum going forward toward achieving those goals (and prevents anyone from saying “but we haven’t even left yet!”).

Conclusion

You may be thinking that this seems like a lot of work, and it is! But the good news is that once you have your plan in place and everything broken down into manageable chunks, it gets easier. You’ll also find that reminding yourself of your vision statement (and why it’s important to you) helps keep you motivated throughout the process. I hope these tips help give some direction so that when 2026 rolls around, we’ll all be celebrating our achievements together!