This year I have chosen to try something a little bit different. Instead of writing down resolutions, I have decided to set goals for the year.
What’s the difference?
Resolutions are a decision to do or not do something. It could be giving up alcohol for the first month of the year, or resolving to go back to the gym after a few months of slacking.
Goals, on the other hand, are an aim to achieve a specific result. This could be to run a marathon or take an online course.
So why pick goals over resolutions?
Well, resolutions really don’t seem to last that long into the year and they are usually founded in some displeasure with your current state of being/ living.
Now don’t get me wrong, there isn’t anything wrong with setting out resolutions. More often than not people seem to struggle to keep them or even remember them by mid- January.
Goals are more proactive, its a determination to achieve something.
[bctt tweet=”Stop making New Year Resolutions. Set Goals Instead. Read this article to find out why. ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”]
So, Motherland Mogul, how do you set our goals for the year? First things first…
Write it down!
There are a couple of ways you can do this, journaling or if you are more of a visual person you can create a vision board.
If you write your goals down somewhere you can see them everyday it helps you stick to them, a constant reminder isn’t to make you feel bad but more to remind you what you are working towards.
A vision board is not only fun to make but can enable you to see your goals as an actual reality making it much easier for you to stick to them.
Think of the short term and long term
Set out goals that you want to achieve by the end of the year, by a certain month/ date.
This means you can work on consistent goals as well as focus on the short term. This means you are not only waiting for the end of the year to see results but throughout the year you will have bursts of success that will continue to motivate you to achieve your more long term goals.
So what falls into each category?
Short term goals could include taking an online course in a certain month, running a marathon, reading a set number of books per month.
These goals require you to train/ learn/ work to achieve them within a certain time frame, so get to work!!
Long term goals such as the 52-week saving challenge, launching your own business, changing jobs or even volunteering on a monthly basis.
These are goals that require consistency and usually take longer to achieve. The rewards may take a long time to reap but just imagine how it will feel to finally achieve a goal you have been working long and hard on.
Categorize your goals
Not all goals are the same, sometimes you have to realize what part of your life you want to improve or change.
Personal and professional goals are the obvious categories that we can turn to but do not forget other aspects of your life that can give you joy.
You can set out goals to travel to a new country (or a few), to complete a crafts project, grow herb garden or practicing daily gratitude. This helps you focus on your creative side and develop healthy self-care habits.
Put in the work
Each goal you set out is going to require a lot of work and determination by your part. what is important in realizing your goals is identifying what you have to do to achieve them.
Let’s take the marathon for example. You can’t wake up on a Saturday morning and just run the marathon, you need to train in order to run the race.
This would require you going for more parks runs and working out to build the strength and endurance needed.
So you set a mini-goal, for example following a training program that guides you over a period of time. These mini goals help you determine what you need to do on your part to achieve your goals and provide small successes on their own.
Be realistic
You don’t want to run yourself into the ground trying to achieve your goals. They are not meant to tear you down or make you feel worse about yourself. Focus on goals that help build a better version of you, whether professionally or personally.
Don’t set out goals too ambitious or far fetched, but also do not forgot to throw caution to the wind. It is not time to sit back but rather to step up for yourself in the aspects that matter. If you really struggle to hold yourself accountable, why not find a goal buddy?
This person will remind you of your goals throughout the year and check how long it is taking you to achieve them. They may also provide you with great advice and be a support system when things seem hard.
Reap the rewards
I do not know about you but sometimes I need an incentive to work on something.
And considering there is no one to hand out badge saying “Well done”, it’s up to you to set out your rewards. So let’s say you have finally managed to start your open your own business, why not throw a small soiree to thank those who helped you achieve your goal or even just to launch your business.
Again, such rewards make the achievement of a goal so worth it, so why not reward yourself for all the hard work you have put in.
Got some advice that can help others succeed in 2019? Click here to share.