* By Cheryl Conklin, Guest Writer
Goal setting can be tricky. Too often, our goals are vague, unattainable, and set far in the future. These types of goals serve as poor motivators. Whether you want to advance your career, get fit, improve your mental health, or learn a new skill, setting attainable and time-sensitive goals is key to maintaining a high level of motivation. And strong motivation leads to progress! Here are some tips from Jean Brownlie to help you set better goals and strategize your plan to achieve them.
Set SMART Goals
If you want to meet your goals, they have to be attainable. Set goals that you can realistically achieve within a specific time frame. Goals with these traits are known as SMART goals. They are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-limited
While your goals can and should be challenging, they shouldn’t be so impossible that they feel completely overwhelming to you. Your goals shouldn’t require an overnight lifestyle change or sacrifices you aren’t ready to make. Likewise, your goal should really matter to you. Relevant goals align with the ideal vision you have for yourself and your life. If you’re setting goals for someone else, you’re going to fail.
Break Your Goals into Bite-Sized Pieces
Once you’ve set a few SMART goals, break each goal into manageable chunks. This is your action plan. Strategize exactly how you’re going to chip away at each goal, right down to the specific actions you need to take every day to achieve them. For example, if you want to save $5,000 in one year, you’ll need to move $13.70 into your savings account every day.
If you want to lose 12 pounds in two months, set smaller goals to lose three pounds every two weeks, then strategize how you’re going to achieve this. In terms of exercise, you can plan on walking farther at a gradual rate as time passes. This is much more achievable if you live or work in an area that has a high Walk Score, which measures the walkability of virtually any location.
Write out a strategy for each goal. Be as detailed and realistic as possible. In the end, you should feel confident that you will achieve your goals if you follow your strategy!
Dedicate Time to Each Goal
Dedicating time to each of your goals is a crucial part of forming an effective achievement strategy. Set aside time every day to work on your strategy. This will force you to prioritize your goals instead of getting to them after you’ve taken care of everything else on your to-do list, which is likely endless. TINYpulse recommends getting your most important tasks done first. If you really want to achieve your goals, chip away at them in the morning. Tackling your goals first thing in the morning will ensure they always receive attention, regardless of how busy your day is.
Rely on Habits Over Willpower
We often rely on motivation to push us toward our goals. When this motivation inevitably fades, we rely on willpower. But this strategy always fails. Willpower comes and goes as we experience differences in stress levels, energy, emotions, and self-talk. Instead of relying solely on willpower, build habits. Establishing habits is like building automated systems that will allow you to succeed even when your motivation and willpower are low.
Prepare for Potential Obstacles
How many times have interruptions derailed your goals? Perhaps you were working out every day until that vacation, but you haven’t exercised since. Or maybe you were finally settling into an early sleep schedule, but you’ve been sleeping late again ever since that night out with your friends. It’s hard to get back on track when something throws a wrench in your routine. Plan ahead so you can avoid these obstacles! Zen Habits suggests accepting interruptions as part of life and picking up right where you left off as soon as possible.
If you’re struggling to reach your goals, consider taking a new approach to goal setting. Learn how to set SMART goals that are realistic and attainable, create a daily action plan to map out your steps forward, and plan for dips in willpower and life interruptions. You’ll be on the right track in no time!
As a trainer, writer, and consultant, Jean Brownlie can help bring out the best in you and your business. Reach out today to get started!
Special thanks to Cheryl Conklin, wellnesscentral.info for writing this post.
Jean Brownlie
