Are you thinking that you came back like a few weeks ago and you are already thinking of your next holiday? Maybe you already feel tired and do not have the energy of taking up the language course or going to the gym as you had planned?
What happens between the moment that we set our goals and the moment that we do not reach them and feel unmotivated?
Goals are an important part of our lives. They are the drive that gives us a direction and help us stay focused in reaching a result.
In order to finally achieve reaching your goal, you need to have a good start. Saying I would like, or I want this or that expect for results. There is a lot of hard work and persistence needed in the way.
Apart from that, there are specific techniques that help you break down your goals and give you the steps in achieving them! So what are these steps?
Find what truly motivates you!
I always found it hard to stick to getting in a good shape by going to the gym. I found it boring and also looking fitter was not what would motivate me going lifting weights instead of going for a drink with my friends. So I lost a looooot of time and effort by not finding my true motivation. When I took up running I wanted to empty my head and also I was running in the nature, which helped me a lot appreciating the scenery. Then I understood that what motivates me is spending time with myself, changing scenery and exploring around the area I was. I managed to keep running trhough my trips, in England, Scotland, France, Italy, Spain, Hungary, US even Brazil! So I could stick with the goal of running 2-3 times a week even during the cold winter morning of England. I started liking it so much that I am now training for a marathon! I would have never thought so!
So how can you find what motivates you?
You might have a lot of must do in your list. In order to understand, ask yourself WHY?
Write down why it’s valuable and important to you to do something? In case I had to present to my family and friends why I will stick to this goal, how would I convince them that I am truly motivated by this goal?
When you understand your WHY, you can see the importance and the priority behind your goal. And that makes the first step in turning it into reality!
Set SMART Goals
If you have not heard of SMART goals, you will find this section very interesting. If you have, do you always apply the method? Do a revision, it always helps
In order to design a SMART goal, you need to think of the following. Is my goal:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time Bound
.
How do I set a Specific Goal?
You need to find a goal that is clear and well defined. Break down the goal and make it as easy as you and by define in detail where you want to end up.
Example: I want to be more active, do more sports, get in shape. Do you think these goals are specific? Think again… I want to be active by going to the gym 3 times a week, I want to play basketball twice a week and go to the pool once, I want to get back to being able to run a 10K comfortably and so on.
How do I set a Measurable Goal
You need to include precise dates, amounts, times per week/month, etc. Only if you have measured your desirable result you could understand how you move towards your goal. And of course without our way to measure it, you might miss out in celebrating you success when you achieve it!
Example: If you need to make more savings, how much more, would that be a percentage of your salary, a specific amount per month, per year and so on?
How do I set an Attainable Goal
You need to make sure that you can actually achieve the goal you set. That only can keep you motivated in making it and taking it seriously in the first place! However, you should not set goals that are too easy! Find a balance between realistic and challenging.
Example: I want to be a professional ballet dancer or a NASA astrophysicist with no background at the age of 30 could be attainable, but you are long way from it. I believe that we can reach what we want in life, but we need to keep in mind also reality when it comes to stretching our skills.
How do I set Relevant Goals
You need to find a goal that is relevant to the direction you want to take in your life. That’s why becoming your compass is important 🙂
If you keep your goal aligned with your priorities, you can keep your focus to go ahead with it.
Example: I want to go on holidays abroad this summer, but I just bought my dream car so how could I afford it. We need to find the most relevant to our priorities each time.
How do I set Time-Bound Goals
You need to set a deadline to your goal otherwise you risk to continuously postponing it. Haven’t you noticed that when you have a deadline you tend to be more productive as your sense of urgency increases and as a result achievement will come quicker?
Have you found your top goal?
Now let’s write it down
Set your Goal in Writing
Now we need to make it real and tangible!
Your vocabulary is important right now.
Frame your goal statement positively. You need to finish the phrase:
I will……………………………………………………….(write down your goal specifying the details) , ……………………………………………………………. (put your deadline)
Your examples could be:
I will make 5000 euros of savings this year.
I will run a semi-marathon at the end of this year in under 2 hours.
I will go on holidays with my family in Rome next May.
Keep your goal visible!
Put notes on your fridge, your desk, your computer, mirror, whenever you find it relevant and motivating!
Schedule your weeks from now on with an Action Plan
Ok, you’ve made it so far, but what’s next? That’s the Action part!
Plan out your week by introducing the actions that lead you to your goal. When you write out the individual steps, and crossing them one by one as you complete it, you will be able to follow your progress towards your ultimate goal.
Stick With It!
Setting a goal requires an ongoing action. In order to keep yourself in track you need to build in reminders, and make regular check points to review your goals. You might need to adapt and change your goal, and that’s OK! Nevertheless, you need to make sure that your goals stay relevant, valuable and necessary to get you where you need to go.
This is an important part where you can ask help from your environment or a professional. Empowerment coaching can help you out the process of defining your goal, and mainly providing you the support throughout the process. For me, my coach helped me to uncover some of my deepest fears of making a change in my career in becoming myself a coach and going independent and making this change faster than I thought I would be ready for it. And I am very happy with it, but I need the support whenever I realize I am getting stuck.
How about you, what will you decide to set as your goal?