In my most recent newsletter, I touched on why 2020 doesn’t have to be a waste of a year, and I shared a few of my plans and goals I want to work on in the last few months before 2021. Today, I want to go into more detail on my 4th quarter plans, and share some ideas how you too can make the most of this year.
Here are the 21 goals I’m committing to accomplishing before 2021!
Personal Goals
- Exercise 3 times per week and train for a 5K.
- Sign up for the FE exam.
- Finish up all my preventative care appointments (i.e., go to the dentist).
- Get on some sort of sleep schedule – go to bed and wake up at a reasonable hour.
- Read 3 books.
- Decorate my home for the fall and winter.
Work Goals
- Add an automated qualification sequence to my toolsets.
- Complete phase 1 of a new part qualification project.
- Complete an effectiveness verification on a previous part qualification project.
- Add product quality inspections to production material.
- Close out a measurement system analysis that has been open for the last year.
- Train our technicians on some metrology basics.
- Start my “Tech Ladder” resume.
- Complete process development on a new proof-of-concept device.
- Complete documentation for product transfers.
Other Organizations/Volunteering
- Attend and blog about my experience at WE20, the Society of Women Engineers Annual Conference – virtual for the 1st time ever this year!
- Create parent/educator informational and instructional content for a virtual K12 STEM conference.
Blog Goals
- Apply to 1 speaking event.
- Edit videos from past speaking events and add them to my website.
- Continue to maintain posting schedule (1 blog post live every Monday).
- Continue to maintain newsletter schedule (1 newsletter blast every other Friday).
Making the most of 2020
There might only be a few more months left in 2020, but that doesn’t mean the year has to be a waste. What goals have you been putting off this year? You don’t have to list out 21 – just pick one!
I find it much easier to tackle big goals when I can break them down into small manageable steps. For example, a pretty large and lofty goal I have is to earn my professional engineering license. However, that is process that takes a lot of time, exams, and effort to complete.
Rather than trying to tackle that 1 goal, I asked myself, what is the 1st thing I need to do to work towards that goal? The next step is to take the 1st of 2 exams, which is what I listed as my 2nd goal in my “21 before 2021 list” – sign up for the FE exam.
Sometimes breaking down every step to a large and lofty goal can be really intimidating. Rather than letting it overwhelm you, pick 1 small step to work towards that goal. I want to finish 3 books before the end of the year, so I’m going to start by reading for 15-30 minutes before bed each night. Another example could be trying to save more money. Rather than overwhelm yourself with couponing and tracking sales, try making a monthly budget or download a budgeting app to track where your money goes.
2020 was definitely the year of cancelled plans, but that doesn’t mean we have to check out of the last 3 months of the year. Pick one goal to work on, and then identify the next step to achieving that goal!
What are you going to commit to accomplishing in the last few months of 2020?