If your goals are just in your head, you can convince yourself “Ahhh I didn’t really set that goal anyway!” and that makes it a whole lot easier to put them off.
A written goal is also measurable: you’ve got something to compare your result, success and finished product to. This is how you know you’ve reached your goal! If it just lives in your head, it shifts around, gets a little foggy, and it’s unclear when you’re “done the thing”.Â
Be very specific about what you want to achieve.
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The more you subconsciously think of or see your goal, the more likely it is to happen. When the image and idea of your goals are consistently on your mind, you’ll naturally start taking steps toward achieving them.
And keeping them top of mind will make your day-to-day decisions easier – you can filter your choices and options through the goals you’ve chosen for yourself, and what you need / want to do to achieve them.
Where can you put those goals so you’ll see them every day? Try Post-it notes around the house, setting phone reminders, adding it as your desktop wallpaper, writing them in your planner. Anything!
Doing a little reminder ritual first thing in the morning is best, so you don’t forget as you get caught up in other stuff throughout the day.
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Dream as big as you want, but please take baby steps to get there.
If your goal feels a bit out of reach, break it down until it feels achievable and attainable for you. Focus on those small, measurable results. Reverse engineer and work backwards from your ultimate goal and end point.
This way, you’re less likely to procrastinate, and it’ll be much easier for you to take action. Like, now.
Start by asking yourself:
- What’s the first step I can take?
- What needs to be done to reach this goal?Â
- How do I achieve it?Â
- What can be done now / today?
- What can be done later?
Disclaimer: you don’t need to know everything right now. Just start where you are and with what you know. The rest will come.
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Review your goal, your progress and how you feel about the whole thing on a regular basis. Every Monday morning for example…mark it in your calendar, or set a phone reminder, so you remember.
Look back at the goals and desired results you wrote down: How much time has already passed? How much have you got done? Do you (realistically) have enough time to do what still needs to be done?
If you’re not tracking, reflecting on and evaluating your progress, it’s so easy for that goal to get pushed aside, or dragged out for eternity.
What are the monthly, weekly and/or daily things you’re willing to do to make your goals stick?
Consider potential issues that may arise (ie: scheduling conflicts, lack of resources, life just happening, etc.) Have some “Plan B’s” and work in some flexibility, just in case.
Set aside time (even just 15 minutes) to dedicate to your goal every. single. day. This is easy, since you’ve already broken it down. *wink wink*
BONUS: create a goal statement
Use this fill-in-the-blank statement to bring allll of the above together in a neat little package:
I will ___________ (your goal) ___________ by ____ (completion date) ____ . I want to achieve this because _______ (why this goal is meaningful and impactful) _________. I’m going to ___________ (your strategy for how you’ll meet this goal) ___________, and ______________ and ______________ to ensure it becomes a reality.
Remember, your goal should be very specific, so you can monitor your progress and results. Including why it’s meaningful and important to you, and the positive impact it will have on your business and life. This will help keep you motivated and taking action.
Still having challenges with your goals? Check out my post about what to do with those unachieved goals.😉 You’ve got this!
Great list! I have a list of the daily habits I want to focus on written on a note card, and I carry it on the credit card holder on my phone case. That way, I can pull it out multiple times a day to be reminded of time sensitive habits I want to reinforce.
Oh my goodness LOVE this idea Kim – you’re taking habits to a whole new level! Constant reminders are what dreams are made of 😉
I’m going through this right now! I am really trying to create a healthier, more fit lifestyle for myself! It’s all about consistency and those baby steps!
Yessss that’s awesome Parker! Ironically, baby steps will get you in a healthy space so much quicker! Good luck 😀
Great tips for getting the goals to stick! I know that writing down and tracking my goals has been very beneficial for me. Thanks for sharing!
You’re so welcome Emily! Writing and tracking can make all the difference – so happy to hear it’s working for you 🙂
Great post! I like the statement idea!
Thank you Olivia – statements can be a great reminder and motivator!
These are great strategies! I will for sure be using them!
Happy you found this helpful Suzanne – good luck on reaching your goals!
I review my quarterly/yearly goals every week, but I really like the idea of a goal statement, especially when I get stuck and start doubting my goals!
That’s AHmazing Brandi – love that you’re reviewing things so often! The goal statement will be a nice compliment to all the hard work you’re already doing 😀
Great list!! I do most of these too and they are SOO helpful! I’m going to share this on my Fb page. 🙂
Woohoo it’s always nice to meet a fellow goal getter 😉 And thanks for the share!
LOVE THIS. Thank you so much for sharing. Big goals are so intimidating- I love the process you describe here.
You’re so welcome Alyssa! Big goals should be fun and challenging, not intimidating – good luck with the process!
These are all great tips! I find that breaking them down is key to avoiding overwhelm. Thanks for sharing!
Totally agree with the breakdown Beth – it makes all the difference 😀
I agree with all the above! Only way I can get stuff achieved is by breaking them down. During my final year (which seems like years ago now) I still have the post it note that has every 30mins of my day mapped out because I’m that useless at self remembering haha. Now having a lot of projects on the go, I write a weekly to do list with specific actions 🙂 x
That’s awesome – way to know how you work best and hold yourself accountable!