Goal setting, by definition, is the process of deciding what you would like to achieve over a certain period of time. Some goals are short-term and others take longer; goals may also require different amounts of focus and effort. Even if goal setting does not come naturally to you (as we all have different skills and strengths) it does not mean that one cannot learn to focus on an outcome and work towards it. I’ve always been a goal-oriented person and, because I like to see others thrive, I thought to share what has helped me over the years. Please know that these six points are merely guidelines that I hope will spark some thought into how you would like to start working towards your own successes.
1. Start with self-evaluation and reflection by doing the following:
- List what you would like to have more of in your life: this is not limited to things and includes feelings, experiences, moments, etc.
- Write down what you would like less of in your life. These may include habits, feelings, relationships, roles you have had to play, etc.
- Keep a journal for a few days where you write down how certain roles, expectations or activities make you feel and begin to notice when positive and negative feelings are associated. Doing this may help you to expand on the two lists created above.
2. Acknowledge your strengths and areas of growth.
It is so important to acknowledge what you are good at. Creating positive conversations about yourself helps with self-esteem. Be sure to affirm these things by writing them down and keeping them in a place where you can be reminded of the many ways that you shine.
And then create an honest dialogue with yourself where you are able to notice areas that you may need to grow in. This may not be easy to do as many of us have learnt to compensate and avoid what challenges us but being able to acknowledge where you may need to put in some work can have a positive effect on your life. Overcoming challenges always encourages me; once we start to develop a positive mindset around the possibility for growth and change, we may be able to develop a greater understanding for our capacity as individuals. You may find that your best goals are set from this area and end up feeling accomplished while working towards and achieving them.
3. Set goals for all areas of your life and begin to categorise them.
After expanding on steps 1 and 2 above, begin to select what will be important to you in the time frame you’ve set out. Try to keep the number of goals realistic; I tend to keep it to no more than 9 main goals for the entire year; you may want to do even fewer if this is your first time setting goals or as many as up to 10 if you are a seasoned goal setter.
Below is an example of how to categorise goals based on my top 9 things I’d like to achieve:
My goals are centred around work, family, my faith and general well-being, education, nutrition and my interests. Yours may be very different and include things like sport, relationships, time management, etc.
A few things to remember:
- Every goal does not have to be very challenging.
- Developing consistency matters.
- Setting small goals that you can work at daily can add as much value as a long-term, bigger goal (to study or get a promotion, for example).
- Centering your goals around your quality of life is important, too.
- Nothing is too big or too small if it matters to YOU.
4. Define the term (time period) of your goals.
Setting a time frame for your goals helps with focus and discipline; determine whether they are short, medium or long-term goals. When possible, keep to the time frame and learn to allow yourself grace and flexibility when it is needed.
5. Make the time.
“I’d love to… but I do not have the time” is a common explanation for why people are not working towards the things they would like to have in their lives. Consider this: if there is time to scroll through social media or watch an episode on Netflix (these are just examples), there is time to work towards your goals.
Learn to be intentional about the hours you have in your day. Allocate 15 minutes or an hour, depending on your capacity and peak productivity, in your day or week for specific things and go from there. Starting small is realistic and attainable; little steps can be so encouraging!
And start. It’s likely to be uncomfortable or strange in the beginning but it will soon become part of your life so make the habit of showing up for who you’d like to be.
6. Be realistic and hold yourself accountable.
In this area be sure to:
- Think about hindrances/ distractions and factor in dealing with them.
- Take your current ability and performance levels into account.
- Remember that small victories pave the way for increased capacity. Walking for 15 minutes four days a week will set you up to work towards running an hour every other day in a year’s time. This applies to all of your goals. Be sure to apply this principle to all of your goals.
- Be aware of settling into a rut. If you are walking comfortably for 15 minutes daily, increase it to 30 minutes and start to think about adding in small bursts of jogging (if your knees will allow for it!). The point here is to continue to expand on your efforts as you reach the initial milestones that you’ve set.
- Celebrate all victories.
- Be willing to start again. We all fall off at times; illness, responsibility and life happens. What’s important is that you keep giving yourself as many chances as you need to recommit. Building that type of resilience is really important for long-term achievement and success.
- Be kind to yourself. Trying something new is scary. We were all beginners at some stage and we all grew to be competent in our own way so give yourself the grace to get there.
- Remember that it is never too late to start. Take up dancing, go to a cooking class and climb that mountain! Whatever it is, it is your dream and it is worth your time.
If you have reached the end of this post, thank you for reading! I hope that it was able to encourage you to journey through your ambitions in 2023. Know that you are uniquely gifted and that you are worthy of the things you’d like to have in your life.
Happy Goal Setting!
Bronny xx