3 Tips to Set & Achieve Goals
Can you believe the year is almost over? It might be the holiday season, but I want to chat about GOALS! Setting and achieving goals has motivated me since the beginning of my fitness journey, but I will be the first to tell you it hasn't been smooth sailing.
I truly think that’s the first lesson of setting and reaching goals: we won’t be perfect at it. If we start from a place of accepting our imperfections, then we can focus on putting in work toward achieving our goals instead of trying to reach perfection.
A good goal is defined by time (a set date of completion) and measurability (a factual form of measurement rather than subjective). Once you've determined your goals, the rest comes down to mindset. The most difficult part of achieving a goal is overcoming the mental blocks that got you where you are in the first place.
Now that we've covered the basics, here are my top three tips for setting and achieving your goals:
1. Set The Bar Low - You don’t hear that too often, do you? But this is super important. Set the steps for your goal at something EASILY achievable. It should be as easy to do the task as it is to not do it. For example, if your goal is to run 1 mile without stopping, but you've never ran for 1 minute, the first step may be to walk for 10 minutes a day.
I know you’re thinking, “That’s too easy,” or “That won’t do anything.” But it will prove to yourself that you can follow through. Once you trust yourself to do what it takes, you can slowly raise the bar until you’re running for 1 minute of your 10 minute walk, then running for 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and so on, to eventually reach your goal.
2. Focus On One Goal At A Time - If you’re a goal-getter like me, it can be really easy to pile your plate high with everything you want to achieve right away. Making more money, losing more weight, spending more time with your kids, excelling at a hobby. Why not, right?! Because it divides your focus and attention between too many things and takes the edge off. If you want to achieve a goal, you should prioritize the one you want to achieve the most ahead of anything else, especially during the upcoming holiday season. FOCUS on that one goal and go get it. When you can focus all of your media intake, your positive affirmations, your excess time into one thing, that one thing is going to be powerful. Choose ONE. The rest can come later.
3. Schedule It - Take your ONE goal (with a deadline & measurability) and sit down. What is it going to take for you to achieve that goal? Break down every single step it will take. How much will each of those steps take for you to complete? Write down an exact time for each step. Now schedule. Put it all on your calendar. If it’s on your calendar, all you have to do is complete each calendar appointment, then your goal will be achieved. Doesn’t that simplify everything?! All you have to do is follow your calendar. You’ve got this!
