Free Goal Setting Guide & Printable

best new years resolutions for 2021

Happy New Year everyone! As terrible as 2020 was, I am so excited to start the new year with a clean slate full of possibilities. One thing I learned from this never-ending year is that there comes a point where mama just has to GET IT DONE. Life will always be full of unfortunate circumstances that make reaching your goals harder, but it’s better to fight harder than to give up all together. 

So how do you actually accomplish your New Year’s resolutions? With this Goal-Setting Guide!

Find a quiet place, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and get ready to be introspective. You can fill out the form below to get this post in a straight to the point printable that you can fill out and hang up in your home or at your desk!


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Write down your life “categories” on a blank sheet of paper. Some ideas: Marriage/Relationship, Kids, Work, Spiritual, Home, Cooking, Health, Hobbies, Friends, Finances. These represent the largest areas of your life. You might have some unique categories (moving, children’s therapies, your own schooling, etc.)

Now it’s time for a brain dump! Write down everything that comes to mind in each category. Some things might be tasks (gosh, I keep forgetting to make that dental appt), and some things might seem really abstract (save more $$!). Just get it out of your head and onto the page.

best new years resolutions for 2021

Dream big. In each of these categories, what would you LOVE to improve? Yes, I know you’re busy and stressed. But if you could improve something about your marriage, what would it be? What about your parenting or your kids’ play environment? And if you’re wanting to save more money, what’s that side hustle idea you’ve always had in the back of your mind? This is when you’ll write down things like “Montessori style toy display – less batteries and iPads” and “More date nights and quality time without the kids.”

Again, you’re not striving for perfection! Brain dumps look messy and a little crazy sometimes. Don’t talk yourself out of writing something down.

Evaluate each category. For tasks like “dental appt, “replace bathroom towels,” or “find a good probiotic,” cross them off and transfer to your To Do list. What’s left is probably a combination of Abstract Goals and Abstract Ideas. Abstract Goals masquerade as good goals (example: Exercise every day), but there’s not enough information there for you to follow through. On my Exercise Every Day goal, I broke it down into a smaller goal: Work out for 20 minutes every morning. See the difference? I got serious about a realistic way to make this goal happen. Next to it, I wrote some to-dos: Find good aerobic and weights Youtube workouts, Get winter workout pants. If these things don’t happen, I’ll never ever get started. (Side note, if you’re choosing a diet, check out my Whole30 tips!)

Abstract Ideas can also masquerade as goals. These include “Save more money,” “Be a better mom,” and “Work on my faith.” They sound good! But they lack the details to make them happen. HOW much money do you need to save? WHAT do you want to work on in parenting? HOW do you want to grow in your faith? Dream big, but dream specific. If you decide you need to save $10,000 in 2021, that means you need to save $833/month. That either means you need to make significant changes to your spending habits, or you need to increase your income. Or both. 

See, if we don’t get specific, we don’t get started, or we procrastinate until December 15th. If you want to save $10,000 in 2021, you better get started today! 

Back in the 1980’s, some smart business people and professors came up with the SMART method for goal setting:

  • Specific
  • Measurable (HOW will you measure that you’re growing in your faith? Maybe it means reading 1 chapter of the Bible per week, or praying 20 minutes per day.)
  • Achievable (Realistic; I’m definitely not going to run a marathon in 2021 ;))
  • Relevant (I could make a goal to become a fantastic gardener, but that’s not at all relevant to my season of life.)
  • Time-bound (Make sure you set deadlines or things never happen.).

This is a great tool as you examine the goals you’ve written down.

Challenge yourself to make each goal a SMART goal so you actually accomplish it in 2021!


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Oh! One more thing. Since most of us are moms, and ALL of us have been through the most stressful year ever, I do want to encourage you to be realistic when setting your goals. Yes, dream big, but dream realistically. 😉 Are you a stay at home mom of 3 wild little ones, whose husband is out of town for work half the month? Don’t put heavy expectations on yourself to build a full time business in one year. Are you a single mom who’s going to school and trying to change your career or get promoted? Maybe it’s too heavy of a weight to say you’re going to cook dinner every night. Or maybe none of these goals are too much for any of you, but ALL of them together will be crippling. YOU are in charge of your New Years resolutions. And don’t forget, they’re not set in stone. If you need to put that list aside at any time for your mental health or for the benefit of your family, put that list aside guilt-free! And consider checking out these best gift ideas for mom as you make your self care a priority on your goal list!

I LOVE talking about this stuff, so please DM me on Instagram if you have any questions about this!

All the best to you and yours in 2021!

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Hi friend! I’m Clarissa, mom of two crazy little boys & Ryan’s wife for nearly 10 years! I have fancy taste on a frugal budget and love sharing my favorite sales and life hacks to help you stay sane (& stylish) while parenting. We live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest! Join me on Instagram modern parenting blog fashion
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