Goal Setting & Resolutions for 2020 | 21DSD Edition

Our first official 21-Day Sugar Detox (21DSD) of 2020 kicks off on January 6th, and that makes today Day 1 of the all-important Prep Week! The 21DSD Prep Week gives you an entire week to prepare in advance of the actual start date, so you’re ready to go and set up for success.

Part of preparing for any new challenge is to set goals for yourself through the process. What better time than the new year to rethink your goals and resolutions, and make real change happen?!

Let unresolved resolutions be a thing of the past!

Here at Team 21DSD, we love providing you with the best tools and resources to rock your 21DSD, and we’re ready to help you kick off 2020 with a bang!In the spirit of the new year, we’ve combined an amazing goal setting resource from 21-Day Sugar Detox creator, Diane Sanfilippo, together with some new thoughts and insights from Team 21DSD and our Certified 21DSD Coaches – all in one place. Our intention is to help you find new ways to approach your goals and resolutions, and put them into action in a powerful way!

Hungry for more on Goal Setting & Resolutions? Check out Diane’s blog post over at Dianesanfilippo.com for more tips, as well as a downloadable goal setting workbook!

Let’s get started!

Historically, how have you approached resolutions? 

1. I’m completely put off by resolutions and don't set them.
2. I see resolutions as something very natural with the start of a new calendar year.

Regardless of which camp you’re in, we hope you’ll find some inspiration from our suggestions below!

PICK YOUR WORD (OR WORDS)

If you're not into resolutions, this may appeal to you – and if you are, well then obviously you are on board!

Pick a word, a phrase, or a sentence that you can come back to throughout the year, and use this to help you make decisions and guide you through the year.

Take this example from one member of Team 21DSD, who chose multiple words:

“I had a few words (based off the Desire Map Planner), and they were authenticity, courage, connection, and faith.” 

As a close-knit team, we saw how very much she lived up to those words in her work with us, and in her personal life, as well!

Another member of Team 21DSD chose to use a phrase as a mantra to help pull herself out of the habit of “all work and no play” for the year:

“What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” – a quote from American poet, Mary Oliver. Repeating this mantra reminded her to take time for fun with family and friends, and to also allow herself time to regenerate.

Now it’s your turn!

What word, phrase, or sentence could support *your* goals for preparing, going through, and completing The 21-Day Sugar Detox?

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Organization
• Commitment
• Follow-through
• Personal Responsibility
• Resolve
• Courage
• Perseverance
• Dedication

or…

• “I’m prepared.”
• “I’ve got this.”
• “I am worthy.”
• “I am in control.”
• “I am strong.”
• “I can do hard things.”
• “I empower my loved ones by the example I set.”

Ready for something harder but well worth the effort? Let’s go!

SET YOUR PRIORITIES

In her post on Goal Setting & Resolutions, Diane explains how she and her husband sit down and write goals together for the upcoming year. She shares her framework in the “What Lights You Up?” Goal Setting Workbook (you can reference Diane’s original post and find the workbook here), which you can use for setting your priorities in 2020.

One member of Team 21DSD describes her experience using the workbook as follows:

“My partner and I used [the “What Light’s You Up” Goal Setting Workbook] as a couple who recently moved in together to talk about the goals we had in each area, and make sure we had the same vision, while still having our own goals, as well. We made a coffee date out of it and intend to make it an annual tradition.”

Here are some of the basics from the workbook:

First, brain dump the following areas of focus:

• Health
• Career
• Financial
• Personal/Spiritual
• Relationship
• Home
• Adventure
• Wild Card – you choose!

Next, order these categories in two different ways: 1) the order of importance to the goal-setter, and 2) the order of which category needs the most work.

Ordering these two ways can help bring clarity and realignment to your priorities for setting goals.

For example, for those of you reading this, health is likely the most important category to you because even though your relationships may be important, without your health, you can't show up to be your best in those relationships.

If you also discover that your health is the category that needs the most work, you can start digging deeper. Maybe you didn't take care of yourself very well the past year. Or maybe you are a mom and you constantly put everyone else's needs above your own and you need to focus on you and your health this coming year.

This method is great because you do not need to have goals for all 8 categories… in fact, you may only set goals for the top 2-3. This is much more realistic and not as overwhelming.

The What Lights You Up? Goal Setting Workbook also includes a “get to know yourself better” section, and a spiral visual that demonstrates how each goal is going to have small action steps that will help you achieve the bigger goal.

ADDITIONAL TIPS & APPROACHES

Know Yourself

At our Team Retreat, beyond team building, we reflected on what went right and not so great in 2019, and resolved how we could improve for 2020. Prior to the retreat, we each determined our Enneagram type and took the Strengths Finder test so that we could share and discuss how these findings allow us to understand ourselves and each other better, and how we can apply that to a strong, collaborative, and enriching work environment.

These tools, in addition to discovering your tendency type, from Gretchen Rubin’s work on The Four Tendencies (also addressed in the What Lights You Up? Goal Setting Workbook), offer a great compass to guide you in your approach to goal setting.

Examples:

Regarding the Enneagram, to give you a little context: there are 9 types and each person falls into one of those nine based on certain more prominent traits that arise during growth, as well as certain traits that show up under stress. All types have both, and one type is not better than the other. 

A type 9 tends to avoid conflict and be more of an advocate for others vs. themselves. This can work against you when you need to be proactive about having your needs met when attempting to prepare and complete the 21DSD. This insight about yourself can help guide you to setting expectations about what you are doing with your family ahead of time so that nobody is surprised or caught off guard.

As a type 9 herself, one member of Team 21DSD holds family meetings to share her plans, the reasons why they are important, and what she needs for support. In communicating this, the family can decide on any compromises, if needed.

Another example would be sharing how you need to put non-21DSD friendly foods, such as hard to resist snacks, out of sight. When you make your family aware of this ahead of time, they likely won’t be as put off and may actually be helpful in that they won’t eat those foods in front of you (you can also ask that ahead of time…this is when compromises come in).

If you’re going out to eat, another idea is to look at menus ahead of time, and speaking up if there are no good options for you – and having alternatives to suggest.

All of these are great examples of advocating for yourself in a non-confrontational way!

20 FOR 2020

Speaking of Gretchen Rubin, 21DSD Coach, Amy Bertheaud Spofford shared how she approaches intentions and goal setting for the new year:

“I listen to Gretchen Rubin’s Happier Podcast, and I’ve been following their lead the past 2 years for “18 for 2018” and “19 for 2019” so I plan to make a “20 for 2020” list too!

What I like about it is that it doesn’t put so much pressure on ONE BIG THING. You may have that ultimate goal in mind, but having a long list of actionable steps is helpful, and SUPER satisfying when you can cross something off!

Just for an example, some of my items were:

• Obtain an LLC
• Fix/update my website
• Write a blog post every 2 weeks (at least)
• Plan 7th wedding anniversary celebration
• Develop healthier key lime pie recipe

Some are harder, some are more fun, and ultimately ALL of mine haven’t been completed yet. But most are at least started!”

Vision Board

Have you heard about vision boards? 21DSD Certified Coach Sandra Overton shares:

“I took a class for making a vision board. I found this helpful and my goals are visible for me to see daily.” 

This sounds like a fun group activity to do with friends and family alike!

Here’s an idea: send out invitations and ask everyone to bring past issues of their favorite magazines and a pair of scissors. You can provide the glue sticks and refreshments!

Sit around the table together, sip on kombucha mixed with sparkling water (serve in wine glasses to be extra-festive!), snack on a freshly-baked Granny Smith Apple Crumble (one of our most beloved 21DSD recipes, adored even by those *not* cutting out sugar), and design your vision for the upcoming year!

21DSD Resources to set you up for Success

We know that the tips and exercises here, and in Diane’s Goal Setting & Resolutions post and workbook, will give you an awesome leg-up in preparing for The 21-Day Sugar Detox! 

Don’t forget to check out these other great tools and resources, too – so you’ll be set up for success in the new year, and beyond!

The 21-Day Sugar Detox Daily Guide | This book specifically guides people through busting sugar and carb cravings naturally in a step-by-step process, including:

• • 7-Day Prep Week
  • Meal-prep tips & tricks
  • Motivational moments
  • Post-21DSD Transition
  • Journal space
  • 75 recipes, and more!

21-Day Sugar Detox Certified Coaches | Need accountability, or looking for a group near you? We've got you covered with our awesome 21-Day Sugar Detox Certified Coaches! You can search for one near you, an online group, and even one that specializes in your specific needs, such as autoimmune, pregnancy/breastfeeding/new moms, support for athletes, and many others.

21DSD Free Resources | The 21-Day Sugar Detox Quickstart Guide, a 21DSD Friendly Costco shopping guide, and more!

The 21DSD Community on Social Media | We love our 21DSD Community and you will, too! Even if you decide that your community is a local or online group with a coach, you can find additional inspiration to keep you on track on motivated via our social media channels: The 21-Day Sugar Detox Facebook Page; The 21-Day Sugar Detox Community Facebook Group; The 21-Day Sugar Detox on Instagram; and The 21-Day Sugar Detox on Pinterest.

Our 21DSD Newsletter | Get a weekly roundup of our favorite 21-Day Sugar Detox-friendly recipes, posts, videos, guides, and more! Click here to subscribe!

Want more information about The 21-Day Sugar Detox? Check out What is The 21-Day Sugar Detox?

Found these tools, tips, and resources helpful? Have other content you’d love to see? Share in the comments below!

All the best on your 21DSD, in your other 2020 Goal Setting & Resolutions, and beyond!

Team 21DSD – “You’ve Got this!”