I know that creating and setting goals can be overwhelming or intimidating. Sometimes you don’t know where to start or which first step is the right one. There’s good news though–you don’t have to have it all figured out on day one. Most people find success along the way in the form of small wins. Another important piece to goal setting is choosing goals that actually mean something to you. Choosing a meaningful goal comes with thinking about why you want to reach this goal and why the goal is important to you. Having a “why” can give you a driving force that pushes you to achieve what you’ve set your mind to. A lot of people like to write down their current priorities and center their goals around their priorities.
Tips From Goal Getters
- Make SMART Goals. Smart goals are goals that are Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
- Specific goals are goals that are extremely clear and not general. For example, saying, “I want to lose weight” is not a specific goal because there is no clear-cut end goal. Determining how much weight would make the goal more specific.
- A measurable goal is a goal where you can track your progress to measure your degree of success. Continuing with the weight loss example, this can be done to keep yourself on track and setting a goal of losing 2 pounds per week until you meet your ultimate goal.
- An attainable goal is one that is realistic for you and your lifestyle. For example, saying you’re going to lose 60 pounds in 3 months is not realistic (and probably not healthy either).
- A relevant goal is one that relates to your life. If your goals are scattered, it will be extremely difficult to stay consistent.
- Time-bound goals are goals that have a deadline. Without a deadline, there is no driving force to achieve it.
- An example of a SMART goal is: I will lose 2 pounds each week by including activities that I enjoy like Zumba and hiking into my exercise regimen to lose 16 pounds in 2 months.
- Write Your Goals Down. Write your goals down in multiple places such as post-it notes. Put these post-it notes in multiple places around the house where you will see them throughout the day to help remind you. You can also set reminders and alarms on your phone as well.
- Create a To-Do List. Write out individual steps of how you want to achieve your goal. By including small steps that you are able to cross off along the way, you will see how much progress you are making which will help motivate you to keep going.
- Don’t Stop Once You Reach your Goal! Once you achieve your goal, keep working hard to turn this goal into a lifestyle. Healthy habits are important for a healthy life! And who knows…once you achieve a goal, you might want to set a new one. That’s how you become a goal-getter.
Written by GUADS student intern Clarissa