How to set goals that stick
As June wears on, it means the first half of 2018 is coming to a close. Yes, it seems like just yesterday we were toasting to the new year and everything we wanted to accomplish…both professionally and personally.
If you are staring at the list of unfinished or yet-to-be-started goals for 2018 that you made so excitedly in your new planner, don’t give up hope just yet. There is still plenty of time to get back on track, but the most important thing to do right now is some self-evaluation if you want to achieve those goals over the next six months.
Here are some tips on setting (or resetting) goals that will stick:
Focus! If you set too many goals, you’ll get overwhelmed and feel like you aren’t making progress on anything, which can cause your motivation level to bottom out and stay there. Rule of thumb is to choose the things that are most important to you and only set goals around those objectives…no more than three big goals per year.
Check your motivation(s) for each goal. Why did you write it down as a goal in the first place? Are they what YOU want or what you think someone/everyone else wants of you? The key to reaching goals is making sure they are in line with what you ultimately want/need/desire.
Can they be attained this year? One of my goals is to write a book someday. I realize, however, that a vast majority of authors write books over months if not years before publishing. Would I like to write a book this year? Yes. Is it going to happen in six months if I haven’t started working on it? No. Make sure that your goal is something you can attain this year or you will again have trouble with the motivation to even get started on your goal.
Get uncomfortable. If you are setting a goal, that likely involves some kind of major change. Change often involves some kind of discomfort. The end result of achieving a goal is usually something that feels great like a degree finished, losing 50 pounds, getting a different job, but the process to getting there is typically difficult, awkward, and sometimes uncomfortable. Are you ready to be uncomfortable and do you have the persistence to push through the discomfort?
BONUS:
Build a plan to achieve them! Goals are great, but a plan to achieve them is even better. Make sure you have daily, weekly, and monthly actionable steps to get you on track to reaching your goals. Cheers to the second half of 2018!
