Setting Up Goals To Crush It In 2019
It’s not as easy as saying you are going to do something and that’s that. There’s a little more to it than that, IF you want to actually achieve these goals.
We are almost 2 weeks into 2019! And, I am noticing that some people are already losing momentum. I think this occurs when we don’t take the time to develop the appropriate habits nor take the time to actually set up our goals for the year. You know saying that I want to lose 50lbs or I want to grow my business or I want to find happiness, these are not forms of appropriate goal setting. Not if you want to be successful that is. It sounds more like a wish than anything.
So how do you take these goals and align them with an action plan so you can ensure you actually execute this year?
Let’s talk about that today
I think the first step is to actually set both short-term AND long-term goals! To ensure we are on the same page here, short-term goals are defined as goals that you want to achieve in the near future – typically within a 6-month deadline. Whereas long-term goals are defined as goals that you want to achieve at some point in time that may take longer than 6 months or a year to achieve.
People often discredit the importance of short-term goals, not realizing that they are just as powerful as long-term goals.
Because let’s face it, long-term goals can be discouraging at times because progress of achieving that goal isn’t always evident nor noticeable. A lot of people actually end of quitting when they aren’t seeing progress, not realizing that progress IS there, it just takes time, so it’s not always noticeable. That doesn’t mean it is not occurring.
Therefore, having a short- term goal to fall back on is a great strategy to keep you motivated. It releases dopamine and activates the brain’s reward center, which helps keep you going and moving towards achieving that long-term goal.
For example, if your long-term goals is to lose 50lbs this year. Well most people want results much quicker than what’s considered a normal rate of fat loss. It can be quite discouraging if that’s your only goal for the year. Whereas, if you also set short-term goals, it will help keep you motivated and still progressing towards losing that 50lbs. Some examples of offsetting short-term goals may include increasing your daily veggie intake, increasing your water consumption each week, maybe running 5km in one month or even getting stronger in the gym from week to week.
Overall, short-term goals are just as important as long-term goals. So take the time to set BOTH this year.
The next step is to execute.
There are two strategies here to consider and I would argue that both are equally effective and to utilize both!
First is to actually write your goals DOWN. I love this strategy and actually find it to be a powerful method to ensure you actually execute.
Your goals become more real when you write them down. It no longer feels like a wish or a dream. It’s out in the universe and now it’s your responsibility to get to work.
The second execution strategy is to share your goals with your loved one. I don’t care what your goal is and if you are shy or embarrassed, share your goals. Put it out there and accept others support. It's also a great way to indirectly have other people hold you accountable to your goals. Now you HAVE to make it happen, people are watching now. Again, it’s now your responsibility to get to work
The next step is to check in with yourself.
A lot of people have coaches, which is great if you really struggle with accountability. But if you are up for the challenge, actually make an effort to check in with yourself and how you are making out with the progression of your goals.
You have to measure your progress! How do you know you are on track if you aren't checking in with yourself?
Every week, take 30mins for yourself and assess how your week went, areas you did well in and areas you need to improve on.
Going back to our example, be honest with yourself and assess if you consumed your goal water consumption. If not, how come? What can you do to improve this area so next week you ARE successful.
The biggest trick with this step is NOT to get discouraged if you don’t like the answers to your self-assessment. You have to remember that you are human and for lack of a better term, shit happens. Sometimes we have off weeks sometimes we fall off track. That’s not an excuse to get in our heads and to quit.
I honestly check in with myself every Sunday. Some weeks I have off weeks, but I find it just keeps me more focused and allows me to really get to know myself to see what my strengths are and what I need to improve on. Never do I dwell over a crappy week. It would just lead into a subsequent crappy week. Not really worth it in my opinion. Instead of viewing it as a failure, view it as an opportunity for a second chance the following week.
So let it go. You have to find the will and focus to not let your mind go there. Simply assess what happened, figure out how you can improve for the next week and let the previous week go.
And the last step I would recommend is to be specific with your goals. This is probably the most important step if you want to actually be successful. We tend to be more enthusiastic and disciplined if there’s a deadline in mind
I CAN'T stress the importance of this step enough. If you find that deadlines don’t really light that fire under your butt, then I would share your deadline with those you shared your goal with originally. Now you have to execute, again people are paying attention.
Continuing with our example, you can't just say your going to lose weight this year. This is the quickest way to be disappointed and falling off the wagon.
Be specific and set hard deadlines.
For example…
I will lose 50 lbs of fat by September.
I will run 5k by April.
I will be able to squat 150lbs by March
Instead of reliving the same year each year and losing motivation and giving up on your goals, let's focus on these habit changes so you can start crushing it!
You GOT this!