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The first month of the new year is almost over and it’s around this time that many of those new year’s resolutions or goals get thrown out the window. We start out optimistic and ready to conquer the world, but our good intentions can very quickly fizzle out if we aren’t careful.
Since I’m right there with you on trying to keep my own goals for 2016, I’m sharing some thoughts on how you can ensure you accomplish your goals for the year.
1. Set realistic ones
I believe that part of why we often don’t succeed with our goals is that we tend to bite off more than we can chew. I believe we should push ourselves so that we can rise to the occasion, but we also have to consider our current season of life. Take a step back for a moment and consider what you have on your plate at the moment, so that you are being realistic with your goals.
Related: Setting Goals You Can Actually Achieve
2. Make them specific
Goals need to be specific. Don’t set goals like “loose weight” or “spend less money.” Those might sound great, but they aren’t specific enough. How much weight would you like to loose? Or is there a specific part of your budget where you’d like to focus your efforts? It’s okay to brainstorm some larger, general goals, but go back and make them more specific. Narrow them down as much as you can.
3. Break them down into action steps
Once your goals are specific enough, break them down into action steps. If you want to accomplish something, you need to think about your plan of action, or else it won’t happen. Your plan doesn’t need to be complicated, but have an idea of how you will achieve your goal. Oftentimes, my monthly goals include my action steps for my yearly goals (along with some other “to-do list” items).
Related: How to Reduce Overwhelm & Increase Productivity
4. Put action steps on your calendar
After I’ve made my more specific monthly goals, I sit down with my Google calendar and figure out when I can spend time working on those action steps. There are only 24 hours in a day and we all know that things won’t necessarily happen unless we make time for them. Use whatever planner or calendar you use to schedule time.
5. Ask for support
It’s always encouraging to have support when trying to achieve goals. It could be a spouse, friend, or relative, but think about who you have in your life that might be able to encourage you along the way. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate, but sometimes just telling someone else about your goals is all you need. If you might benefit from someone asking you about how your goals are going on a routine basis, then maybe you could take it a step further.
6. Evaluate often
Even the best made plans often need to be re-worked. Life is fluid and what might be a good goal at the start of the year may not be a good goal towards the middle or at the end of the year. Setting goals should help you be less stressed out, so evaluate them often and feel free to tweak them if needed. Remember to give yourself lots of grace too!
Goals can be a tricky thing, especially for people who tend to be perfectionists (like me!). Setting goals can be motivating and challenging, but if there is no way to succeed at them, then it’s tempting to throw in the towel and give up. Be strategic about the goals you set, come up with an action plan, and then go for it. You can do this – I’m rooting for you!
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What helps you to achieve your goals?
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