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Althea James

3 goal setting Tips for 2020

Updated: Jan 20, 2020

2019 disappeared at a speed that quantum physics may never be able to explain. Thank goodness I had goals to achieve...maybe…

I say maybe because I initially had too many goals. Long story short, I had to change my approach and reduce them into less daunting bite sized chunks, or risk getting nowhere.

I mean if I told you to eat a whole cow right here right now, you’d probably laugh at me. However, if I told you to eat a cut of the cow progressively over a period of time, a burger here and a steak there, you would probably finish it before you’re aware of it.

Why would your goals be any different?

And yes I do understand that the given example may resonate with the carnivorous readers out there but I’m sure the non-carnivores can take an open minded approach.

2020 candles and glitter confetti

Happy New Year!

I don't do New Year's resolutions. Instead, I like to set goals / objectives. However, I found myself chasing my tail until I had learnt to set targets that are practical, measurable, and achievable.

I also found that it helps to share them with someone I can trust so that I can feel a sense of accountability.

Last year I set a goal of learning to trade. I dabbled a bit, did some learning here and there. It wasn’t until I connected with someone who also trades that I actually really started to progress in my trade learning. When I sit a course or a tutorial session, I have to tell him a key learning from that session and why it resonated with me. The most important trait in an accountability partner is that they do not accept flaky answers; he scores high there trust me! (Big up David)

A lightbulb with empty thought bubbles
But where to start?

Have you set your goals for 2020?

Congratulations if you have! Bonus points awarded if you have committed them to paper. Gold star awarded if you have shared them with others.


If you haven't established your 2020 goals, get on the case!

I understand that goal setting isn’t easy for everyone, and I know many who don’t know what their goals are. So to assist, I offer three points to follow when setting your goals.

  1. Make them personal. Set your goals for yourself, not for others. As my aunt always says “it’s your journey”.

  2. Make them practical, whether they are personal or work related. Or both.

  3. Share them with others, in order to help you to commit to your success. Accountability really helps.

A speech bubble with the words "1, 2, 3...let's go!"

There is no magic required. Simply ask yourself, "What do I really want to accomplish in 2020 before it turns into 2021?"

You can even take it a step further and establish a longer term objective by asking yourself 2 questions:

  1. What do I really want to accomplish before 2030?

  2. What can I accomplish towards it in 2020 before it turns into 2021?

As an example, realistically, my modelling related goals would be:

  1. Achieve my [modelling] aspiration of modelling for 3 of my favourite designers/brands by 2030

  2. Bring my modelling portfolio to a standard that I am happy with before 2021

Althea peeping over from behind a bench
Photo credit: @being_coraline

I used to work in sales (a long time ago), with people whose livelihoods depended on their ability to generate sales (as the title would suggest). Up to this day, I still can't believe the number of talented people I interacted with who did not take the time to write down their goals. Had they mapped out strategies to achieve their goals, they would have been so much more successful. Now imagine if they had shared their goals with their manager / peers etc. I know that I would have sailed through that role if that had been the case.

Neon lights saying "think about things differently"

I know of someone who had the pleasure of meeting Mark Victor Hansen at a sales conference in Hawaii. For those who don’t know, Mark is co-creator of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book series - he is very inspirational, as well as a humorous speaker.

She said that he spoke about goal setting and left small cards on the tables for attendees to complete.

He instructed them to write down one goal, alongside the time frame they set for completion of their goal. He then told them to have two or three others sign their goal card - not with the purpose of agreeing or passing judgement on the goal, but to simply to acknowledge it.

I have yet to try this technique myself - I am going to try this over the next week or so as I finalise my 2020 goals - around the progression of my modelling portfolio and other areas of my life. Either way, I thought it would be a good technique to share with you guys.

Let me know how it works for you.

Lightbox with the words You Got This
Just in case you need a lil reminder...

No matter what, please remember to keep your goals visible. They’ll be no good to you if you keep them tucked away in a folder or hidden in the back of a drawer. Post them in your office, carry them in your wallet / purse, pop it on your fridge, put a copy on your closet door to look at every morning and evening, make it your computer’s screen saver, stick one to your car’s sun visor, and place one on the inside of your front door so that you can be reminded of your intended journey every time you exit.

Subliminal reminders work, but don't forget to track your progress. What gets monitored, improves. I found keeping my powerlifting log updated was all I needed for continual progression. Keep tabs on your progress at regular intervals, i.e. every 2 days or whatever works for you - as long as it’s often enough to keep your momentum going.


Please remember that your goals are personal to you. They don’t have to impress anyone else, and don’t have to be gigantic “take over the world”-esque goals either. If that were the case, my goal would be woo every model scout with my modelling portfolio and to take over the entire modelling scene as the world’s greatest black model. By next Monday.

Nothing is impossible...but the pressure though...

A gif of Althea looking up and then away from the camera
Until then, any excuse!

Don’t put yourself under unnecessary pressure as I had been prone to in the past. Remember that pressure bursts pipes!

Commit a small amount of compulsory time each day towards your goals - as my Sensei says to me “10 minutes of training is better than zero minutes” (or something along those lines).


To conclude, in the words of Will Smith on Charlie Rose:

"You don't say 'I'm going to build the biggest, baddest, greatest wall that's ever been built.' You don't start there. You say, 'I'm going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid. You do that every single day. And soon you have a wall."


I wish you success in exceeding your 2020 goals!

A chalked message on a blackboard saying "success go get it"

Today’s link is not so random. As this was just a taster to goal setting, those of you who want to take a deeper dive into setting your 2020 goals may find MindTools’ Personal Goal Setting article useful. You’re welcome.


Keep up with my selfie shenanigans on my modelling profile on Insta: @althie_model


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Please let me know how these techniques work for you - contact me here.


About the author [that would be me]:

I am a Senior Project Manager by day; by night (aka any other time), you can find me lifting heavy metal things (aka powerlifting), threatening to dust off my belt in the name of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (I will make myself re-worthy of my blue belt), or finding ways to get infront of a camera and labelling it as modelling in some way shape or form.

I put this blog together as an add-on to my modelling portfolio, and it reminded me of how much I love to write. I will continue to write as my model portfolio grows, just so that you can get to know the real me.

Althea James model x



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