eLearning, Freelance ID, Instructional Design, Leadership / January 7, 2021

I know we are all looking forward to 2021. The start of a new year is always a great time for goal setting. But, especially this year, I’m ready to leave 2020 in the dust! That’s why I’ve got 5 tips to rock 2021, so you can take advantage of that surge of inspiration you’re feeling and turn it into a goal-setting plan that’s guaranteed to meet your aspirations.

Hopefully, you already wrapped up 2020 with a great reflection on the important work you did and a celebration of your successes. 2021 is going to be a big year, I can just tell.

So before we get into the details, drop down to the comments and tell me one thing you’ll achieve this year. What are you committed to?

Now it’s time to get to the good stuff.

Here are my most helpful tips to rock 2021.

1. Set your intentions

Going into a new year, everyone is always tempted to set big, sweeping goals for themselves, both personally and professionally. Unless you’re truly committed, come February a lot of those goals are long forgotten!

So you’ll notice we’re talking about goal setting, not resolutions. While resolutions are all about striving for what you don’t yet have, intentions are more like the direction you want to keep moving towards.

Instead of creating a list of tasks that you want to accomplish (don’t worry, those will come later!) goal setting is focused on allowing you to use your existing skills to focus on what’s most important to you so you can continue to grow.

Your intentions will power your goals, so what is your aim this year? Here are some examples:

• You’re a beginning instructional designer and you’re so ready to learn! Maybe you’ve already checked out some introductory courses to jump-start your new career. Maybe you’re stuck in the resume-writing stage. Either way, your intention is to be forward-thinking.
• As a freelance instructional designer, you’re all about the hustle! With multiple clients and various projects always on the back burner, it seems like every time you cross one item off your to-do list, you have to add 3 more! Your intention is to be prolific.

Your intention may evolve as your year progresses. It can also serve as a mantra you can use to propel yourself towards achieving your goals. What I love about intentions and goal setting is that they’re not specific to your professional life. A real intention is something you can live and use to feel fulfilled personally too (we’re not just worker robots, after all!)

Personally, I decided to order two bracelets from the MyIntent Project to help me stay focused on my two big intentions for the year: Healthy Living and Balance. Below, you will see my two daily reminders. One says Nourish 360 which is about nourishing my mind and body as well as pour into those around me. The second one says 5 Rise 5 Stop to help me put boundaries around my work and personal life and to make the most out of my days.

2. Broaden your horizons

As instructional designers, we literally live off learning! It’s easy to get so focused on developing the best learning experiences for your clients that you forget to enrich yourself. So what are you going to learn in 2021?

Reading is a great way to expose yourself to new ideas and inspire your creativity. Something I read every year as a refresher is Training from the Back of the Room by Sharon L. Bowman. Despite being marketed towards teachers and trainers, I always find some amazing takeaways that I can incorporate into my instructional design work.

I have a friend who plans out her reading list in December for the entire next year and orders her entire reading list before January 1st. She is all in on her self-development, wouldn’t you agree?

Now, if you’re looking at your to-do list thinking, “who has time to read!?” allow me to introduce you to audiobooks and podcasts. Download a new read to your phone and listen on your daily commute. You can also grab some headphones and listen while you exercise or make dinner.

I alternate between listening to a podcast and an audiobook during my morning bike rides and walks. It’s a morning twofer with both personal and physical development.

If you have the time and the means, I highly recommend attending a professional conference. There are many great ones to choose from. Last year, I attended the virtual ATD conference and invested in a 12-week online course. 

When you attend conferences (even virtually), you leave with so many new tools, ideas, and connections.

Another great way to add to your personal toolbox is by learning a new skill. Do you love getting into the nitty-gritty of image editing but always end up hiring a specialist to do your graphic design? Are there interactions in Articulate that leave you stumped? Join a course online or in-person, you can subscribe to a service like LinkedIn Learning or check your local community college for a cheap way to add a useful skill to your resume.

Whatever your learning goal is, set yourself up for success by putting a plan in place right now to help you achieve it.

3. Make time for you

There’s a reason why I want you to focus on yourself first before I ask you to get to work on your personal agenda for 2021. You can’t drive a car on an empty tank! Before you reflect on your past work year and put a plan into place for your quarterly goals, what’s your plan for taking care of yourself so you have the drive to meet those goals with flying colors?

Whether it’s waking up 10 minutes early to drink your coffee in peace while you scroll through your socials, exercising on your lunch break, or setting a recurring date to watch the game with friends, you need some kind of self-care regimen.

Put this time for yourself on your calendar or your to-do list and plan around it!

4. Finalize your quarterly goals

At the end of every year, I encourage you to reflect on what contributed to your success or caused setbacks. It’s time to dust off that list and use it to set new goals for each quarter in 2021.  You’ve got the power of hindsight in your corner as you move forward knowing what worked and what didn’t. Use it to your advantage when goal setting for the next quarter or year!

Make sure your quarterly goals are obtainable and help move you towards your long-term goals. If you’re part of a team, work together on these goals to get everyone on board and moving in the same direction.

You can even flowchart your goals on a whiteboard or somewhere else where you’ll see them every day. Personally, my quarterly goals hang inches above my computer monitor so that I see them daily.

Start your flowchart by writing your intention in the center. From the center, branch off into your quarterly goals. From there, you can break it down into milestones that will build towards your goals.

5. Get your supports in place

Contrary to popular belief, you can’t do it all alone! To help you reach your goals and have a fruitful 2021, set up your supports now. These might be people or resources (or a combination of the two).

What tools do you need to work productively? Renew your subscriptions to software or other products that you can’t get your job done without (and cancel the ones that you don’t need). Clean house of old hardware that’s taking up space in your office. It is best to start the new year in a clutter-free space.

If you work on a team and you haven’t had a 2021 kickoff meeting yet, get everyone in a Zoom meeting for goal setting. Work on your agendas and make sure everyone’s on the same page. If you don’t have an office team, check in on your favorite consultants to make sure you can count on them for your upcoming projects. For my beginners, check-in with your professional network of instructional designers online.

Everyone can have a team, even if you’re a fearless freelancer doing it on your own. Join a professional community online via Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit. Weekly chats can help you stay current on emerging trends and practices. Sharing with others in your field is a great way to feel connected.

Are you ready for an amazing year? I know I am! Now that you have some great plans in place, join The Hangout and jump into the conversation! What are you going to learn this year? I’m interested to know what books are on your to-read shelf or what podcasts you’ve got queued.

JOIN OUR PROFESSIONAL NETWORK OF IDCers in the Hangout!