![Accomplish Your 2021 Goals in Nine Simple Steps [LNIM207]](https://www.latenightim.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Depositphotos_213013560_xl-2015-1080x675.jpg)
Tired of setting goals that fizzle out by February? Mark Mason walks you through his proven nine-step goal-setting framework that transforms vague ambitions into weekly action items you can actually accomplish.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
- Why accepting the past year is essential before setting new goals
- How to brainstorm 50 wants to surface your deepest motivations
- The method for narrowing down to three substantive goals
- Why documenting your “why” is the key to follow-through
- How to break goals into quarterly steps and weekly tasks
- Project management tools that help you track progress
Episode Summary
Setting goals makes us feel good about where we are headed, but most people struggle to follow through. Mark lays out a clear, actionable nine-step process designed to dramatically improve your chances of actually achieving your goals this year.
Step 1: Accept the year that was. Before charging into new goals, take a deep breath and accept whatever happened last year. Give yourself grace regardless of how things went. Standing around complaining about the past does not move you forward.
Step 2: List things you would like to have, do, or change. Imagine where you want to be in five years. Write down 50 things you want without filtering for realism or selfishness. This exercise surfaces desires that are hiding beneath the surface and brings them top of mind.
Step 3: Pick three meaty goals. From that list, select three substantive goals to accomplish this year. These do not have to be business-only. They can span health, spiritual growth, or personal development. Skip the small habit-level items. Focus on goals like launching a new product, generating a specific revenue number, or tripling your subscriber count.
Step 4: Document exactly why you want each goal. Take a blank sheet of paper for each goal and write down every reason it matters to you. Keep this document and revisit it throughout the year. Understanding your “why” is what carries you through when the going gets tough.
Step 5: Create quarterly steps. For each goal, identify the four major milestones needed to bring it to fruition. Then brainstorm three action items under each milestone, giving you 12 concrete tasks for the year. Spread them across four quarters so you are not cramming everything into January.
Step 6: Focus on the current quarter only. Set aside everything that is not happening this quarter. That means parking 9 of your 12 tasks and concentrating on just the three that belong in the current quarter. Mark recommends the approach from The 12 Week Year where you treat each quarter as its own complete planning cycle with 12 weekly increments.
Step 7: Break tasks down weekly. Every Sunday night, ask yourself what you absolutely need to accomplish this week to stay on track. Every morning, identify the specific action you will take that day to advance your weekly goal. If you miss a week, the increments are small enough that you can catch up the following week.
Step 8: Track your goals. Use a project management tool to organize everything. Platforms like ClickUp, Asana, or Trello let you break items down, assign due dates, and monitor progress visually.
Key Takeaways
- Accept the past before planning the future. Grace and self-compassion are prerequisites for forward momentum
- Write down 50 things you want to surface hidden motivations most people never examine
- Three substantive goals are better than a dozen vague resolutions
- Documenting your “why” for each goal is the single most important step for follow-through
- Quarterly planning with weekly execution turns big goals into manageable daily actions
- Missing a week is recoverable. Missing a reason to care is not
What's Changed Since This Episode
Mark recorded this episode in January 2021, and the core goal-setting principles he shares remain timeless. The 12 Week Year methodology he references has only grown in popularity since then, with the book continuing to rank as a top-selling productivity resource.
The project management tools Mark recommended have evolved considerably. ClickUp has grown into one of the most popular all-in-one productivity platforms. Asana and Trello remain strong options. Newer tools like Notion now offer flexible goal-tracking templates that many entrepreneurs prefer.
The Clubhouse app that Mark briefly mentioned in this episode's links experienced a meteoric rise in early 2021 but has since declined significantly. The broader trend toward audio-based social content, however, continued through Twitter Spaces and LinkedIn Audio Events.
Cliff Ravenscraft and the Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt, both mentioned in this episode, continue to be valuable resources for entrepreneurs focused on intentional goal-setting and productivity.
Resources Mentioned
- ClickUp — project management tool for tracking goals
- Asana — project management platform
- Trello — visual project management tool
- Cliff Ravenscraft — business and mindset coach
- Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt
- Social Media Examiner article on Clubhouse
Related Episodes
If you found this episode helpful, you might also enjoy:
- LNIM193 — The Problem With Your 2020 Goals And How To Fix It
- LNIM206 — The Lost Reverse Time-Shifted New Year's Eve Episode
Listen and Subscribe
Listen to Late Night Internet Marketing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Have a question for Mark? Call the digital recorder at 214-444-8655 or drop a comment below.
