How to Set Goals For 2021 When Things Feel Uncertain

To be completely honest, I was fully planning on writing a post about goal setting this week. I wrote a post about this last year, and I was excited to add to it.

However, after I actually read through the post I wrote last year, it occurred to me: I’m much less goal oriented now than I was a year ago.

At this time last year, I think we were all in the same boat: It’s a new year and a new decade! We can accomplish anything! 2020 is going to be THE YEAR! I guess we did get something right… it’s definitely been a year! 🥵

2020 has taught me to look at goal setting differently. Not by getting rid of goals entirely! But by holding on to them with a much looser grip. To keep doors open and to be open to new ideas and new directions.

Listen, if you’re ready to take 2021 by storm and you need a roadmap on how to set goals and how to get there, than my post last year is totally for you! You can check it out here and I absolutely encourage you to go for it and chase those dreams!

If, however, you’re feeling a little bit like goals are great, but it’s time to loosen the tight grip you’ve got on the reigns, then I hear you and this post is for you.

Here’s how I’m planning to set goals for 2021 when life still feels uncertain:

1. Gut check to figure out where these feelings are coming from.

First and most importantly, I’ve had to distinguish where my feelings are coming from. Often times, I’ve misinterpreted what I thought was me just “feeling stuck” when in reality, I was living out of fear.

So, question #1: Is this me playing small and living out of fear, or do I need to be more open and flexible with my goals?

Follow up questions include: Am I reluctant to set goals because I’m afraid I won’t achieve them? Or am I just realizing that things are less out of my control than I thought?

When I look back at 2020, I feel like one of the lessons God was really trying to show me was that I took achieving my goals too seriously. I have a tendency to get down on myself and I let lies about being a failure creep in every time I don’t meet a goal. But, I’m learning that I can find so much freedom in loosening my grip here and not pushing so hard to accomplish all the things.

My advice to you if you’re struggling with the same issue is to just be honest with yourself! If you’re needing to loosen the grip on those goals a bit, I get it. I’m doing the same as I set goals for 2021. But, if you decide you may be living out of fear and need a kick in the pants instead, then this post from last year is just for you!

2. Loosen the grip on the steering wheel.

“Jesus take the wheel” is a phrase I’ve used a lot in a joking fashion while watching the dumpster fire that has been 2020. WOOF.

But in a more honest way, let me tell you that I came into 2020 with a white knuckle grip on that steering wheel. I had a plan. I had action steps. I had a roadmap.

And not a single one of those things mattered when the world shut down in March.

Now, obviously 2020 was a year like no other, and I don’t foresee 2021 being the same hot mess. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t grasp an important lesson this year: I don’t have near as much control as I think I do.

I have to be able to pivot and fully trust that God’s going to get me where I need go, even if it looks different that I thought it would.

And there is freedom in this knowledge, friend! Don’t shy away from relinquishing control if you need to. It’s ok. I promise God will still get you where you need to go. Sometimes His time line looks different, and sometimes the road is far windier with more turns, but none of it is without a purpose.❤️

3. Create a plan over a smaller chunk of time.

In previous years, I’ve been really good at roadmapping all of my goals out ahead of time. I’d set little goals along the way and work backwards to make those happen. On a normal timeline, this would totally make sense, and it works! (Unless you’re facing a global pandemic, of course.😖)

In 2021, though, I’ve decided that I want to be more open and flexible. I want to be more willing to pivot if need be and more excited to look into the unknown. One of the ways I’m doing that this year is by planning in smaller chunks of time.

I’ve only mapped out my plan and goals for the first 90 days next year. January through March, I plan to show up online in a bolder way, and to be more intentional here by doing the writing work.

My plan after March? I have no idea. I’m trying harder these days to just focus on what’s right in front of me rather than planning ahead so far into the future. I’m leaning forward with a general direction, but I’m not planning out every single step this time.

And it’s kind of scary if I’m being honest! I’m not used to operating this way. But you know what else I’m finding? There’s freedom in holding out empty hands and having faith that big things will still happen. I can’t wait to see what doors open for you and me next year, my friend.

4. Don’t be afraid to do the work.

This whole post so far may make me sound a little bit hippie. Here’s to freedom and open doors and less planning! Hoorah!

BUT ALSO.

A big part of anything – any goal, any dream, any new direction – is still doing the work.

I’m all for new doors and new plans as I set goals for 2021. And I’m leaning into pivoting and moving in new directions. But I also have to be prepared to do the work once I do make a move.

I heard an analogy once that describes us as we drive a car. If we’re sitting in park, waiting for the perfect timing to drive and the perfect moment to make a move, nothing will ever happen because we’re too afraid to get on the road. But once we’re moving, we have the ability to steer. We can change direction, take a new exit, speed up or slow down, but we have to be moving in order to do any of those things. And part of being able to move, is being willing to do the work required for the direction we’re headed.

So when the time comes and you’ve got a new direction to work toward, don’t be afraid to move. Don’t be afraid to work hard toward a new goal or new direction. While I’m all for openness, I don’t think it’s good for us to sit back and wait on life to happen either. We have to be able to move and we have to be willing to do the work required for the thing we want to achieve.

Wrapping Up.

With the crap shoot of a year that 2020 was, it feels a little scary diving into a new year with so much uncertainty ahead. But the main thing I’m reminding myself (and I want to remind you, too) is to not be afraid to dream again.

Let’s not drag our fears from this year into the next. Let’s take what we’ve learned and move forward with hope. There’s a fresh, new start on the horizon, after all, and while it may feel scary to set goals for 2021, I still believe it’ll be worth it!

***OVER TO YOU: What goals do you have for 2021? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!