How to Achieve Your DIY Goals

For many DIYers, setting goals is a fun part of the new year. But whether it’s learning a new skill like refinishing wood or starting a big remodel project, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with annual goals. Fortunately, there are a few things outlined below that you can do to achieve any number of DIY goals this year.

Clear Planning

The first step in achieving any goal is to sit down and iron out the details. Whether your plans for the new year are big or small, outlining specific goals will go a long way in helping you achieve them. It’s also a good idea to write the goals down and keep them in a well-trafficked area. Not only will this serve as a reminder, but it's also a great motivation tool to get things done.

Reasoning

Once you've outlined your major goals for the year, take some time to think about why you want to accomplish them. Not having a clear reason behind a goal will make it harder to finish it down the road. When it comes to DIY goals, the reasoning could be as simple as increasing the value of your home to learning a new skill for future work.

Break Down Goals

After you've planned out the DIY goals you want to achieve this year, break them down into smaller chunks to make them more manageable. If you plan on learning a new skill, start with the basics and move slowly. If you have a major DIY project to accomplish, set goals tied to specific dates and avoid trying to accomplish everything at once.

Consistency

Try to be as consistent as possible when plotting DIY goals. Map out your goals and plan to accomplish them throughout the year instead of all at once. This will help you be consistent all year long without burning out. Whenever possible, work towards your goals every day. Even the smallest amount of work each day will add up over the long run.

Tracking Progress

Tracking your DIY goals throughout the year is an important part of the process. Not only will it help you stay on track, but it will also help motivate you once you have completed a goal. After all, there’s nothing better than to set a goal and complete it. Fortunately, there are a lot of great apps on the market that can you help track progress throughout the year and help you stay on top of those DIY goals.

Acknowledge Setbacks

When it comes to DIY goals, you're going to encounter some setbacks. Learning new skills takes time and effort and doesn’t always pan out as expected. To combat these setbacks, it’s a good idea to acknowledge your shortcomings ahead of time and plan accordingly. Some setbacks can be avoided entirely with forethought.

Adjustments

When you do encounter setbacks throughout the year, don’t panic and, most of all, avoid quitting. Instead, simply make adjustments and tweak the goals to ensure that you accomplish them. This might entail rethinking what you want to complete this year and cutting down on your workload. It’s better to accomplish less than what you planned than nothing at all.

Accountability

Even with the best of planning, completing goals can be difficult. To help accomplish your yearly goals, consider sharing them with a friend and ask them to keep you accountable. It’s also a good idea to set consequences for yourself if you fail to complete a goal within a specific time frame.

Celebrate

Once you've completed a goal, don’t hesitate to celebrate your accomplishment. Keep in mind that smaller goals are worth celebrating just as much as the bigger ones. Taking some time to reward yourself for finishing a goal will also serve as a motivational tool to keep going. Whether it’s treating yourself to a dinner or purchasing a new tool, you deserve to relish in your achievements.

Enjoy the Process

Lastly, enjoy the process. Whatever DIY goals you set, make sure you have fun doing them and avoid setting goals you know you will hate. This will help make the process much smoother and will ensure that all your goals are met. The more goals you complete, the better habits you form and future goals will become that much easier to accomplish.