Setting goals is amazing for short term and long term motivation.
It helps you focus on your priorities, rather than other tasks.
Here are three steps to setting goals that you’ll actually accomplish:
1.Set Specific Goals.
Be as specific as possible when setting a goal. The more vague your goal is, the more likely that it will remain an idea on the back burner.
Here’s a personal example: Over the past few years I had these grand plans and hopes of starting to exercise. Every so often I’d roll out a yoga mat or join a class, but it never stuck. After a while, I’d reflect that I was so far off from my hopes of exercising consistently and it really made me feel crappy. I then realized that my idea was just a dream and so far from reality because I didn’t set a specific goal. Once I realized this I sat down and mapped out a plan for myself. I set a goal to follow a specific workout plan 5 days a week for 30 minutes a day. What happened next was amazing! I stuck to the plan to the T! Because the goal was extremely specific, it was easy to put into action. By the way, I still keep up this routine and I am the most fit I have ever been. More on that in a future blog post 🙂
2.Start Now.
The intentions you have when you plan to start a goal set the tone for that entire goal. There is always a reason to delay a change whether it’s a vacation, work commitment, or family obligation. When you push off beginning to work on a goal you
A: run the risk of just never coming back to it or
B: Even if you do start working on the goal later, it won’t be with the same excitement and motivation that you would have had if you began the change right when you thought about it. If you really want to accomplish your goal, put it into action immediately! If needed, it can be a slow start, but don’t push off taking that first step!
3. Set the steps to Success.
So not only is making the goal specific important, for example “I want to lose 10 pounds” instead of “I want to work on my weight” or “I want to start save $5,000 this year” instead of “I want to be better with my money” but also setting the steps you’ll need to take to reach your goal. Because oftentimes we’re excited when we set the goal, but the goal is large and if we don’t have baby action steps that we can put into our calendars, we can’t ensure we stay on track to actually get there. So in the example of “losing 10 pounds” some baby steps might be finding a gym, registering for a workout class, speaking to a nutritionist, going through your pantry etc. You get to decide what steps work for you and in what order.
I hope you found these tips helpful.
I challenge you to evaluate some of the goals you may be working on today. Are they specific? Are you working on them consistently? Do you have a plan of how you’ll win?
XOXO,
Binie
PS– I talk a lot about this on my Facebook Page and Instagram. I’d love to see you there!
