5 Quick Tips For Setting Goals
Continuing on from an earlier blog (read ‘New Year, New You? Tips for looking after yourself in 2019’ below), the beginning of a new year is typically a time of reflection and goal setting. Setting goals can be a really helpful activity if you feel like you’re lacking direction, if you are feeling overwhelmed with how much is going on, or if you have some big tasks or goals you want to get started with. This blog shares some important tips on setting yourself goals, to help maximise your ability to reach them.
Start by listing the things that you have achieved that have gone really well over the last six months or so. It is important to celebrate the successes you are already achieving in your life. Think about your relationships, friendships, hobbies, mental health, physical health, self-care – what are you already doing really well at?
Don’t get caught up in big, overwhelming things – when we set goals, sometimes we think they need to be really big, and this can be too much to process. Sometimes ideas about what we want in life can be so overwhelming that we avoid taking steps to achieving goals altogether. First consider smaller, more manageable goals. For example, do you want to be more socially active with friends? Instead of planning a party, how about setting yourself the goal of sending a message to a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while.
Think about what you don’t want – if you’re having trouble figuring out what your goals are, then think about the things in your life that aren’t bringing you joy, then turn those things around into positive things you want to achieve. For example, if you no longer want to argue with your partner, set the positive goal of “I want to communicate more effectively with my partner”. This might then include an interim goal of attending couples therapy.
Most people have heard this tip at one point or another, and as simplistic as it might seem set SMART goals. You would be surprised how important setting SMART goals can be to get you off on the right foot! Here are some tips on setting SMART goals:
Specific – be very clear with what you want to achieve, consider breaking the goal down into smaller steps
Measurable – how will you know when you have achieved your goal? What will be different? What would others notice about you? What will you be doing less of? What will you be doing more regularly?
Achievable – consider setting smaller goals on the road to achieving bigger ones. Celebrate those successes! Don’t set yourself up to fail by making your goals too big to start off with. If you don’t achieve the goal you set out – what could you do differently that would help you be more likely to succeed next time?
Realistic and Resourced – is the goal achievable with the resources you have? Are there any other resources you need before you are able to achieve your goal? Or anything else that will help you on your way? How can you get access to these resources? What can you do to minimise any obstacles?
Time Limited – set a specific timeframe and a reasonable amount of time to reach your goal. Consider setting different time limits for different steps of your goal.
5. Celebrate your wins! This is just as an important step as any of the others when it comes to goal setting. Every time you reach one of the goals in your timeline, celebrate! Dance, go for coffee with a friend, or give yourself some positive self-talk. Just remember to do this as soon as you achieve this goal. If you are able to celebrate every win immediately, your brain will start to associate achieving goals with positive emotions, and you will be more likely to continue the habits that have contributed to achieving your goal. Remember - you have worked really hard, celebrate! You deserve it!
PRO-TIP: People don’t fail, only plans fail! If things aren’t going to plan, have a good think about what is getting in the way, and make a new plan J