Goals setting 101

Let’s pause for a moment and recall your vision of your future self. You created it after you had defined your SMART goal and if you accepted my challenge, you already lived a day in the life of your future self.

All of this sounds like news to you? Then jump back and read my last blog article to be all caught up.

The reason why I put an emphasis on the feeling and being like the person you wish to become is that goal setting isn’t all about ticking the boxes of a step by step guide. If it was that easy, there wouldn’t be so many books about how to reach your goals and let’s be honest, there also would be way less coaches. 🙂

There are of course also a number of books that will explain why you might not reach your goals, but let’s not get carried away and focus on you and your goals.

Start small

Really? I want to reach that amazing big (and SMART) goal and you want me to play small? Yes, please!

I think the reason why so many new year’s resolutions fail is that we very often overestimate what we can reach in one year and underestimate what we can achieve in a longer stretch of time.

Of course I also speak of my own experience…I sometimes overload my weekly to do list and am overwhelmed when I then check my goals plan for the year. It took me quite a while (and I’m still learning) to accept that it is counter productive to wanting to do too much. Because guess what happens then? I get demotivated and stop.

That’s why I would invite you to pick one small, sustainable action you can do to contribute to your goal each day. If we speak for example of the morning routine I mentioned in my previous article, then one small, sustainable action could be to listen to a guided meditation while you get ready in the morning. You enter the bathroom and push play. Yes, this is not yet what you are looking for as a final goal, but it is a small, sustainable action you can do every day.

Pick an accountability partner

There’s a reason why there are personal trainers - not only to benefit from their knowledge and experience, but they very often serve as accountability partners. You know that you’ll have your next session soon and that she or he will see if you haven’t done your exercises regularly. They will also recognise the progress you’ve made and motivate you to keep going.

Imagine you had this kind of person for your SMART goal! Wouldn’t that be something? The good news is that this person can be a friend or even a colleague (depending on your goal of course). Ideally, the other person also wishes to work on a specific goal and you can be each other’s accountability partner.

And yes, this can be fun, too! You could meet for a monthly (or weekly) check-in where you discuss how your progress is going so far, what you’re struggling with and what is working well. Don’t forget that you are also allowed to adapt your goal in case it doesn’t feel right anymore. The journey is the goal.

Be gentle and kind with yourself

You will learn so much about yourself so I encourage you to keep on going. Check in with your accountability partner, stay flexible and enjoy this journey you are on. So many people wish they were where you are right now: on your way to reaching your goal, learning about yourself and what you are capable of.

Yes, you might encounter some bumps or roadblocks here and there, but that is part of every journey. Treat yourself with kindness and be gentle with yourself when you encounter bumps. Your accountability partner will also remind you of that and you won’t be alone on your journey.

Celebrate your progress

One step that is often forgotten is the celebration!!! I mean who doesn’t like a little treat from time to time, right? It’s not about celebrating the end goal, but rather setting up some celebratory pit stops (if we continue with the journey metaphor 🙂).

You managed to keep up the work on your goal for one month? Amazing! How would you like to celebrate it? It doesn’t need to be something materialistic, you can also gift yourself time for an activity that you very much enjoy and don’t do often enough. Maybe a massage? Or a ticket for the cinema? Or maybe a good old (actual) gold star (sticker) might suffice?

Think of several celebratory moments that will accompany you on your journey to reaching your goal and put them on paper or schedule them already in your calendar.

And most importantly: Enjoy the ride!