5 Tips to Help You Stick to Your Goals in 2022

It’s that time of year once again. Our determination to be a new, improved version of ourselves in 2022 is stronger than ever, and we swear we won’t fall off the bandwagon by the time the holidays are over. Or by Valentine’s Day. Or even by the end of Q1…

Cathy in her element, creating her latest vision board

But how do we actually ensure that this year, we will do and achieve the things that we want to? Our much-loved multi-award-winning principal of Belle Property Central Coast and Editor-in-Chief of Central Coast Life and Style, Cathy Baker, gives us the lowdown on how she sets and meets her goals each and every week, month and year. 

1.     Get real on your values

When it comes to the process of setting goals, Cathy is about as meticulous as they get – curating your best life is an art. For Cathy, this life is guided by 12-month business and life plans that commence each July. Cathy takes a solo 3-day trip out of town around May or June (Byron Bay is a personal favourite) with the sole purpose of building her plans for the following year.

The plan is reviewed every 6 months, and in December, the first thing that gets done is the booking of family holidays for the year ahead. “Family is everything for the Bakers,” insists Cathy. “No matter what I have going on, family time is non-negotiable. Each individual’s values may be different, but always put the non-negotiables in first.” For 2022, Cath is also prioritising her health and wellness, so her daily and weekly health and fitness activities also get scheduled in before work.

For Cathy, quality time with family always comes first

2.     Find the medium or strategy that works best for you

Your personal best strategy might not involve a trip away to plan your goals, or the level of intricacy that Cath’s strategy does – however, the busier you are, the greater the need for structure if you’re wanting to stay on track and succeed.

Cath loves to use a combination of;

• vision boards (5 and 10 year plans, hung on her wall so that she can see them when she first wakes up)

• journaling (two notebooks, one on her bedside for morning and night for “brain dumps”, and another in her bag for when inspiration strikes during the day)

• mind maps (often in her journals – Cath is a visual learner, but knowing how you learn can also be important when planning and setting goals)

•  A4 booklets (using visual cues, images and infographics, Cath also creates 2-year, 1-year and 90-day plans with her graphic designer – but a DIY program like Canva would yield similar results, too!)

• to-do lists, SWOT analyses, process charts, endless notes, and lots of coloured highlighters… 

While this probably seems like a lot, Cath has spent several decades learning about exactly what works for her – she has been creating vision boards since she was 15. “It’s important that you try different strategies – figure out what works, keep that in your routine - and get rid of what doesn’t.”

An Organised Life produce beautiful journals for all of your thoughts, plans and ideas

3.     Put yourself first

While health and wellness are priorities of Cath’s this year, we know in 2022 that staying healthy makes us feel better, live longer, and ultimately be far more productive. Factoring time for yourself into your goals (and your schedule) may seem to be taking you away from your other endeavours, but the time that remains in your week will be more centred, focussed and efficient.

For Cath, her morning walk and a full lunch hour are sacred. She also factors in personal time for family and friends throughout the week.

4.     Find an accountability partner/buddy/pal

Success has little to do with how many vision boards or business plans you create, and everything to do with your commitment to seeing the plan through. When asked how committed she is to her goals, Cath always gives the same reply. “My coach of ten years told me that I was the minority – the 10% of students that actually held themselves accountable, did the work and stayed the course while implementing the plan. If you don’t put your heart and soul into taking this on board and holding yourself accountable, then you will miss the magic of it all.” 

One way of keeping yourself accountable is by sharing your plans or goals with a friend, loved one, mentor or coach, and crowning them your “accountability partner”. This is often a reciprocal relationship, and works best when you are pushing the other person to reach their goals, too.

Just some of the vision boards of Cathy’s team at Belle Property Central Coast

5.     Review, review, review 

Every Sunday, Cath reviews her goals and her plans. She gives her past week a score out of 10 and figures out what worked, and what didn’t. She then adjusts the following week accordingly. As a real estate agent, sales targets form a part of her weekly goals – and if she doesn’t hit her numbers, the following week is also adjusted to make up for it. Her longer term plans are also reviewed in more depth every 6 months.

Confidently presenting at the Australian Real Estate Conference (AREC) was a goal successfully achieved in 2021

….and her goals for this year?

Cathy’s 2022 plans are impressive, but we have no doubt she will achieve them. Expect to see rapid growth within her existing business, the birth of a new one (or two) including a health retreat, continued good work through her own charity and others, the expansion of her property portfolio, some time in Europe plus Christmas in Canada, as well as the launch of several mentoring and training programs for individuals and real estate professionals alike. Oh, and a book.

Be sure to keep an eye on www.cathybaker.com.au throughout the year to see all that Cathy achieves. You can also follow her businesses on socials - @bellepropertycentralcoast, @belleescapescentralcoast, @centralcoastlifeandstyle and @teamcathybaker.