We’ve been discussing the importance of our choices and overcoming failure. I thought it was important to discuss setting realistic goals.
So how do you set realistic goals?
- Write your goals down—look at the big picture for each area of your life {ie…career, finances, weight, relationships, spiritual walk, etc}. Write down where you would ideally like to be in one year, five year, ten years, fifteen years, etc.
- Break the goal down—now break that goal down into smaller portions that are easier to maintain. List the steps you need to take to reach this goal. This could be anything from go back to school, to paying off a bill, to exercising each day for weight loss.
- Set Deadlines—set a deadline to reach the first part of your goal. Once you’ve reached that goal, look at the next step and set a deadline to reach that goal.
- Schedule Time—schedule time for your goals. I struggle with my weight and getting healthy. I do much better when I schedule in time to exercise and what I will eat for the week than when I leave it up in the air “to get around to.”
- Be Realistic—have you set goals that can be honestly reached? If you can’t carry a tune and want to be a pop singer, you may want to search for another dream. However, if you’re a great artists, with practice and lessons you may be able to move to the next level.
- Set Goals you WANT to learn—don’t do something because you feel that you should or are pressured into it. Work toward your dreams and desires!
- Develop a plan—there are often obstacles that creep up and derail our plans. For me, that struggle is again with my weight. I do best when I decide in advance how to deal with this obstacle. I then have more will power and am better prepared to overcome this obstacle and bounce back.
- Use positive reinforcement—use positive reinforcement, instead of saying “I can’t do this,” tell yourself, “I can do this if I will dedicate one hour a day to this endeavor, etc.”
- Don’t forget SMART goals—this may be the most important and the most actionable of all of the goals. Often you hear about SMART goals in business, job interviews, higher education learning, etc. So what are SMART Goals?
How do you set goals?
Next week: What are Smart Goals?
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