2024 New Year's Goal-Setting (Husband & Wife Edition)

A few days before New Year’s Eve, I told my husband to set aside an hour or two for one day so we can have a 2024 Alignment Meeting.

“What’s that?” he asked. I explained: “It’s really just a little Mama and Dada date where we sit down and talk about our goals and intentions for the new year.” This is our time to reflect on what transpired in 2023 and what plans we want to achieve in 2024. I thought he’d think the idea of a meeting would be corny or unnecessary, but I’m so glad he was game and even keen on doing it.

We asked my mother-in-law to look after the kids while we escaped to a nearby coffee shop. To make the date-slash-meeting feel more ‘official,’ and to signify that we are really serious about this, I even brought my laptop and created a template where we recorded our conversation.

You can download the template here: 2024 Goals and Intentions Template

I used categories that I feel will suit our needs and our family’s needs best, but you are free to fill in your own categories. The fields are left blank so youcan also fill them out with you own goals.

In our 10 years together as a couple, this was the very first time that we had this kind of goal-setting meeting at the start of the year. I wish we had done this sooner! After our very productive meeting, we both felt more inspired, energized, and excited for what’s ahead. Recording our goals and putting it in writing gave us a sense of direction for the kind of life that we want to create and have this year. Being able to really visualize our objectives and ambitions together helped us see where we are currently at, what steps we need to take to get closer to our goals, what road blocks are impeding our progress, and so on. We also became closer in the process because we got to dream together.

I highly recommend having a goal-setting date with your partner too. Ideally, this should be done before the New Year or during the first week of the year. But if you missed that period, it’s never too late to do it!

If you do plan on doing this, here are some tips:

1) Get out of the house

As much as possible, it’s best to have the intimate meeting outside of the house (preferably a quiet place) to avoid distractions such as kids and chores.

2) Brain dump!

When taking down notes (either on paper or on your computer), don’t be too concerned about spelling, grammar, or writing perfect sentences. Just write down what comes to mind, let the thoughts flow, and edit later.

3) Be as specific as possible

As much as possible, include as many details as you can such as an actual measurable figure (e.g. Save PHP 300,000 by July, write 2 blog posts every week, hit the gym 3 times a week), a time frame (e.g. ‘Lose 10 kilos by the end of January’ instead of just ‘Lose weight.’), and specific actions (e.g. Save money by eating at home and making my own coffee more often instead of going to restaurants and buying coffee outside.)

4) Be realistic but don’t be afraid to dream

It’s recommended to write down goals that are attainable but it’s okay to be a little crazy and allow yourself to set aspirations, even if they seem impossible and sound absurd. You never know, right? No harm in putting those dreams out there. Just maybe, writing it down could be the first step to getting there!

5) Leave some wriggle room

Some people are afraid of setting intentions for the year because they think that these intentions are rigid and MUST be completed, no matter what. Chill! You can be as flexible as you want with your goals. People change, situations change, priorities change, so feel free to adjust your goals and action plans accordingly, and give yourself some grace if you don’t get everything done.

6) Make it visible and accessible

Once you’re done filling out and editing the template, print it out and keep it somewhere where you will always see it so you will always be reminded of your goals. And then each week or each month (whatever works for you), review the file and see if there are any goals that you’ve already accomplished and track your progress.

7) Have an accountability partner

In my case, this is my husband, but you can pick whoever you are most comfortable doing this with. Your accountability partner should help keep you in check and remind you to stay focused on fulfilling your intentions. They are also there to offer you support and cheer you on when you feel that you are struggling with anything.