Have you ever found yourself setting a goal to only realize you have no clue how to achieve it? Or better yet, have you ever found yourself not knowing what goal you wanted next? Goal setting can leave you feeling uneasy, scared and even cause you to shut down. Using this method is sure to make this process more manageable and reduce the stress. Goal setting should not be stressful. You should feel excited and motivated, not scared and uneasy.
Remind Yourself Why You’re Setting Your Goals
Why are you setting a goal? Is there another level you want to achieve in your career or personal life? Do you feel like you have been stagnant? Have you ever found yourself not knowing what to achieve next? This is a common problem in todays world of over and extreme achievers. There is even a common rash of “goal fatigue”, causing individuals to stop setting goals at all. This is not always a bad thing. Sometimes we all need a break from the constant everyday grind.
If you are struggling to set or find a goal, start writing. You do not have to have a certain topic, just write. When we start writing our brain tends to declutter and we can often begin to think more clearly. This is often referred to as a brain dump. Usually in a fairly short time you will have a goal in mind. Your goals can be personal or professional or you can even have both.
For professional/career and even personal goals, write down why you want to achieve that specific goal. Why that goal is important to you. What will it accomplish? Will it accomplish more than one thing? How will this propel you in your career? What will this achieve in your personal life? What is your timeline? Will this goal just help you or will it impact others also? These are all things you can be thinking about when you start writing. If it helps, write out each question and answer. This is your list, your goals, your process. There is no right or wrong. Only realistic and unrealistic. Writing your goals and reasons will help you determine if your goals are realistic and achievable or not. A realistic and achievable goal will not be the same for everyone.
Prioritize One Goal At a Time
Often times we have many different goals in mind or our ultimate goal is made of many other smaller goals. Having an idea of the steps may cause your goals to change. Your end goal doesn’t necessarily have to change but your immediate next step goal may be different. Think of it as a staircase. Your end goal is at the top. You are starting at the bottom. In order to reach the top, you have to take each step one by one. Looking at it from that perspective, what is your “next” step? That is your “next goal”. Achieving smaller goals helps keep you motivated to achieve your larger end goal. If you have one goal a year and it takes you a solid year to accomplish it, you will likely feel defeated early on. Using this as an exapmple. If your goal is to save $1,200 this year this may seem unattainable, however, breaking it down to monthly savings of $100 can help you achieve that goal. What is something you can do this month to save $100? That is your goal, once achieved, move to the next goal.
Outline Steps and Deadlines
A goal is not a goal without having an end date. When you do not have an end date set, procrastination creeps up very fast. Each step should have a deadline. Using the saving $1,200 scenario mentioned above, each month has an end date of the last day of the month. If you need to break this down to weekly, that’s ok! Remember this is YOUR GOAL. It is ok to start small and gain more confidence and clarity as you go.
What steps do you need to take to achieve your goals? Go back to the staircase scenario. Write your steps out clearly. Keeping in mind this is YOUR goal. What is the 1st thing you need to do? What is the 2nd thing you need to do to set things in motion for this goal to be achieved? Having a clear path in mind keeps you focused and more likely to achieve your goals. After all the point of goal setting is to be able to accomplish it right?
Looking at the above staircase can be intimidating when you 1st start to walk. Taking each step one by one makes you feel more confident and the top gets closer with each step.
Visualize Yourself Achieving These Goals
What will it look like when you achieve your goal? If your goal is to save $1,200 in a year, what will that do for your financial situation? How will that help you in the long run? What worries and stress will that take off of you knowing that you have that financial cushion if you fall?
Visualizing what your end goal will do for you is a great way to keep you motivated. If your goal is purchasing a new car, visualize yourself driving that car. Visualize yourself signing the papers and driving away from the dealership. Is your goal to move to a higher position in your company? What will your office look like? How will you new workday be impacted? Will your dress code change? Visualizing yourself in these scenarios keeps you focused and motivated to keep taking one step at a time.
Adapt to Changes with a Positive Mindset
When you are goal setting, always remember that not everything will go according to plan. Knowing this in the beginning will help you understand how to you can overcome and adapt when things change. Keeping a positive mindset when changes occur helps to insure the ultimate goal is reached. There may even come times that you have to change or adapt your ultimate goal. If you go into this process with a mindset of knowing that you will have to adapt, it wil be much easier to do so when the time comes. There will be things that you make “non negotiable” about your goal, other things that are not so important may be pliable. Keeping in mind this is YOUR goal.
Keeping in mind these are your goals and your process. Using the above-mentioned steps will help you determine your goals and the steps and processes to achieve them. 2024 is sure to be a great year when you begin setting yourself up for success. Set your goals, climb that staircase and achieve the level of success you dream of. These may be personal or professional or even both!