Happy New Year!
It’s that time again when we enter a new year and think of all the things we’d like to change or do differently to make our lives better. I myself already have a huge list of things that need changing!
But setting goals is something that you can do ANY time of year and taking the time to really think about what you want to achieve and how you’re going to do it is VERY important.
So set aside some quality time for this process, because to truly achieve your goals, some serious planning, thought and personal insight is required.
And isn’t achieving your goals totally worth it?
1. Set S.M.A.R.T Goals
Setting S.M.A.R.T. goals is a great way to set reasonable, measurable and attainable goals. We can complete the S.M.A.R.T. goal setting method by understanding what each letter stands for:
S – Specific – What exactly is it that you want to do? For example, most of us set a goal to be “healthier” or adopt a “healthier lifestyle” – but what does healthier mean? Do you want to eat more healthy, unprocessed foods? Do you want to lose 10 pounds? Do you want to start a weekly exercise program? Think about what it is you want to achieve and be very specific about the goal you are setting so you can take plan how and when you will be able to achieve it.
M – Measurable: You need to be able to measure your actions to determine whether you are doing what’s needed to meet your goals. Determining quantifiable measures or targets is a great way create action items to do. For example – I’m trying to drink more water this year when I’m in the office (as opposed to all the coffee I drink). So how can I measure whether I’m achieving this goal? Well, I can set a daily goal of drinking 3 tall glasses of water per day; this is a goal that I can easily measure. I also recommend tracking your progress as you go so you can review how often you’ve met your measurable targets and easily identify when you’ve missed your targets for personal reflection.
A – Attainable: You want to set goals that are reasonable and actually doable based on your knowledge of yourself and what’s going on in your life. For example, if you’ve never jogged in your life, setting a goal of running a full marathon in the next 3 months is probably not going to be a reasonably attainable goal. Instead, set smaller goals that you feel comfortable achieving. Completing small goals will gradually help you to achieve your broader goals. These small wins will also keep you positive and on track for success.
R – Relevant: Try to set goals that are relevant to your life and lifestyle. The more relevant the goal, the harder you will work to achieve it.
T – Timely: Once you’ve identified the specific, measurable, attainable and relevant goal(s) you want to achieve, it’s super important to set a reasonable timeline or completion date. You’ll see in the next step that setting the right timeline is crucial to setting S.M.A.R.T. goals.
2. Set Mini Goals + Targets
Depending on how specific your goals are, be prepared to dig deeper and break your goal into smaller, mini goals that you can achieve each day, week or month. For example, if you’re trying to eat healthier, this might mean achieving mini goals like:
-drinking less alcohol
-eating out less
-no longer buying processed foods
-eating smaller portion sizes each meal
Now that you have a few specific goals in mind, think about how you can incorporate them into your goal timeline. Are there things you can do each day, week or month to achieve these mini goals, like having only 1 alcoholic drink per week or eating-out only once per month?
These are smaller, more manageable goals that over time, can help you achieve your greater goals and keep your from being overwhelmed.
3. Write It Down
Feel pretty confident that your plan is a good one? Now’s the time to write it all out and commit to it. Writing down your goals, timelines and action items is a great way to commit to your future you and hold yourself accountable.
It’s also a good idea to write down why you are doing all these things – what’s your mission statement in all this?
Keep your overall goal and a few motivational statements clear and post them somewhere you can see them regularly to remind you why you are making these changes. I’m planning on posting my “Drink More Water” sign in my office to keep me focused on my goal this year!
4. Set Checkpoints + Revise Your Plan As Needed
Like any good project, once you’ve outlined your key milestones, you need to review your progress regularly and re-assess how your goals, timelines and achievements are looking. Just because you’ve devised a great plan doesn’t mean it is set in stone and insusceptible to change. Are you achieving your mini goals? If not, why?
Are there things like work, kids, family that are impeding your progress that you didn’t anticipate? Have circumstances changed? Consider how well you are doing and what tweaks are needed to your timelines and mini goals to achieve what you want.
Are you ready for more challenging goals? Checkpoints are a great time to add some new goals into the mix too. And remember – don’t be discouraged!
Even the best laid plans and project timelines need to be reviewed and reset – because life happens, things change. If you ignore what’s not working in your plan and why it’s not working, you won’t get what you want!
5. Celebrate Your Achievements!
We often focus on what we’re not doing well and dwell on the negatives, but if you’re hitting your mini goals or achieved a key milestone in your overall plan – celebrate! Just don’t celebrate in a way that will derail your progress (e.g. trying to lose weight?
No binge eating celebration parties – ok?). Acknowledge your wins and how far you’ve come and use that momentum to push your forward to bigger and better achievements!
6. Don’t Let Failures De-Rail You
Just because you missed a goal or had a few bad days (or weeks) doesn’t mean your efforts were wasted. Things happen, life happens, but you can always get back on track and start again, because every day is a new day!
Instead of dwelling on perceived failures, stop and think why you missed those goals and what you can do to avoid those pitfalls next time.
Looking for more helpful lifestyle tips? You should read:
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5 Self Care Ideas To Get You Through Winter
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5 Simple Ways To Save Money
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5 Tips To Make Home Maintenance A Breeze
What goals are you setting for yourself this day/week/month/year?
