Goal Setting Tips for 2018

Happy 2018 friends and subscribers.

We have reached that time of the year when we tend to reflect on the past year and think about our goals and resolutions for the coming year. As you are aware resolutions tend not to work unless you have a bucket load of will power and determination. You will see from the tips that follow there is much more to setting and achieving goals than just stating you want to do something. Unless you clearly define exactly what you want and understand why you want it the first place, your chances of success are considerably reduced. By following these 6 Goal Setting tips, you can set goals with confidence and enjoy the satisfaction that comes along with knowing you achieved what you set out to do.

1. Set SMART goals. You have probably heard of SMART. It is an acronym for:

• Specific.

Think very carefully about the what, where, how of your goal. But think even more carefully about why you want to achieve this goal

• Measurable.

Break down your goal into smaller, achievable steps. By doing this you will be able to measure and monitor how you are moving towards your goal.

• Attainable.

Are your goals realistic? Do you have the skills, time or money needed to achieve this?

• Relevant.

Why do you want to achieve this goal? Will achieving this outcome enhance your life?

• Timely

You most certainly need a time frame but sometimes working to deadlines can be demotivating, especially when the goal is not achieved by the deadline. Perhaps it would work better for you to plan a schedule, with smaller stages that will lead to the outcome within the desired time frame

2. Reward yourself for achieving the steps. Decide when planning your steps how you will reward yourself at each stage. The reward could be something simple such as a day out, some ‘me’ time or something more extravagant. It is your reward for your effort, so make it something meaningful and rewarding to you!

3. If you don’t achieve what you have planned, don’t beat yourself up, just accept ‘what is’ and reschedule that stage or re-evaluate and change something to make it work. As this is the point where many goals get abandoned and you may end up feeling like a failure. It is really important that you are kind to yourself, resolve what you need to and then move on.

4. Record your goals, sub goals time frames etc on paper, in detail. Do you know that you have a much better chance of achieving your goals simply by writing them down. Make a vision board too, if you are a visual person. On the board you can place pictures, diagrams, photos, affirmations or anything that represents your goals and will remind and motivate you to keep moving towards your goals.

5. Be flexible. Sometimes life throws ‘stuff’ at us and we don’t achieve what we wanted to achieve. If this happens, be prepared to change things so that it works for you. Perhaps something changes and this goal is no longer relevant to you. Don’t be afraid to re-evaluate, change or even abandon your goals if they are not working

6. Now for the hard work, taking action. Just thinking about and writing your goals is not enough. Action is required for outcomes to be achieved. Asking the universe, repeating affirmations and other strategies may help to support you and motivate you but you will still need to take the action that is needed to get you from where you are now to where you want to be.

As a life and career coach I can help you with formulating your goals and keeping you accountable. I can also help you if you encounter obstacles to reaching your goals. Contact me to find out how I can help you.

carolyn6454@gmail.com

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