Setting goals enables us to start the journey to achieving
something that will make a real and positive difference to our lives, and I
believe that it is worth the effort. With this in mind, I thought I'd share my
knowledge on the subject of goal setting and give you a few tips to help you
achieve this year.
The first thing to do when thinking about what your goals
could be, is to create a space in which you can dream. To achieve this you could
go for a walk in a nature setting (forest, walking on some hills or in the
countryside), go for coffee in a nice cafe, or sit back in a comfy chair to
relax and listen to some music. Personally I find the latter suggestion the
most thought provoking for me, but everybody is different so do what suits you
best. Once relaxed you can get going. Ask yourself the following questions:
If I knew I was going to be successful, what would I be
doing with my life?
If I had unlimited money and time, how would my life change
and what would I do with that spare time and money?
What did I love doing as a child and how can I replicate
similar activities now?
When nobody is placing demands on me, what do I love to do
and why?
Once you have answered those questions, either in your head
or by writing down the answers, you are ready to list your goals. When writing
your list of goals, start with the ones that you already know you want to
achieve. Next, sit back and ask yourself what else you want to achieve. Start
by writing down everything that comes into your mind and use positive phrases
such as 'I want to move house' rather than negative ones like 'I don't want to
stay in this house'.
Once your list is written, leave it for 24 hours and then
come back to it. You can add to it at that point if you wish to do so, or you
can take stuff off the list, but go through the list and put a tick next to the
goals that resonate with you. It is important that you don't self-censor during
this process. Be completely open and honest with yourself about what it is you
want to achieve.
When you have done this, go through the list and tick again.
Keep repeating until you have, at most, five goals on your list.
These are the goals for the year ahead, and this is now your
foundation that you have laid. Take a look at your list and then cast your mind
forward in time. Imagine that you are at the end of the year, looking back and
reflecting over the past 12 months. What are you looking back on? Have things
changed? Or is it the same as every other year? Will the previous 12 months
have been intervening and enabled you to get that new qualification, or lose
that excess weight, or overcome your particular issue. If you can imagine
yourself one year from now, it will become easier to identify the goals that
are most important to you. From there you can begin to plan what you need to do
next in order to achieve your goal.
So, to summarise, here are my top tips to help you achieve
this coming year...
Remember that the more powerful and compelling you can make
your goals, the greater your chance of sticking with them throughout the year.
When considering your goals, it's good to strike a balance
between long term goals and those which can be achieved quickly.
Include some goals in your top five that will bring quick
results. This will help to build your confidence in avhieving the longer term
goals.
Once you have your goals in mind or written down, ask
yourself the following questions...
1. Why is it important that I achieve the
goal?
2. What will I get if I achieve it?
3. What will it cost me if I don't?
Finally (and what I deem as the most important tip I have
for you), whatever your goals for the year are, it's important that you make them
SMART. I use this process with my clients. Each of your goals should be:
SPECIFIC: What exactly do you want to achieve?
MEASURABLE: How will you know when you have achieved it?
ACHIEVABLE: How can your goal be attained? What skills or
support do you need?
RELEVANT: Is this goal worthwhile to you?
TIMED: When do you plan to start and finish the goal?
That's all on goal setting for now. As always, I hope that
you can take something from it and apply to your own life. Here's to a year of
achievement.
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