At the beginning of every year, most entrepreneurs sit down with a pen and paper to write down their goals for the next 12 months. Everyone knows that writing goals down, along with the steps that it takes to achieve them, helps ensure those goals get met.

If you’re not sure where to start with setting your goals for the year, you’re not alone. Even though I work with dozens of entrepreneurs every year to map out their strategy and plans for success, when it comes to my own stuff, it’s a different story.

I’m not sure what the blocker is, either. It’s not that I’m afraid of success, or scared of the work. It might be that goals come with responsibilities. Once you put them on paper, it feels like you’re committed to them.

Fortunately, we are free to change our mind about our goals at any time. We are allowed to make adjustments, and to switch things up as our circumstances or desires change. They’re our goals. Our plans. The only person we have to answer to is ourselves.

On the flip side, the only person we’d be letting down if we don’t make a real effort at working towards the goals we set is ourselves as well.

How do you achieve your new year goals?

You start with being honest about what you really want and why. Then you consider what you have to do to be able to make the goal happen. You write it down. You do the work. It’s just that simple.

But what do you write? Here’s what I start with when I’m planning out my goals for the new year:

1. Write down your word of the year and anchor words. The word will help you remember what’s important as you go about your business. The anchor words support the WOY and are kind of like tires that make your WOY car go. For example, my word is LEGACY. Anchors are focus, engage, and be present.
2. Create a phrase of the year. Mine is “Mind Your Business.”
3. Determine what your rules for business are. Work hours, lowest rate you’ll accept, whatever will help you be a better entrepreneur.
4. Your income goal (I like to break mine down by year, quarter, week, and day)
5. I like to put my personal goals on a different sheet to keep myself accountable to my health and wellness commitments to myself.