Ready, Set, Goal! 3 easy steps for setting and achieving goals!
I love to see people living their dreams. It inspires me to see people who are focused, goal-oriented and always looking to grow, learn and take on new challenges in order to create their best life. They understand the power and value of setting goals to keep them moving forward and have the determination to keep going no matter what.
Setting clear goals and breaking them down into manageable tasks will help you create your best life too. It’s important to set 1 to 3 big goals each year. Create big goals that really stretch your limits. Set goals that seems impossible, or that have been life-long dreams of yours.
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Big goals are scary goals! Think of a goal that is so big, it scares you and totally excites you at the same time. Some examples of big, stretch goals are losing 60 pounds, paying off your credit card debt, saving enough money to retire at an earlier age, writing a book, or taking a trip around the world.
How do you set goals and determine your most important goals or tasks? Use the Ready, Set, Goal method to help you create and breakdown your goals.
Here are 3 steps for setting and achieving goals:
Get READY!
Brainstorm & Prioritize
I do my big goal planning session in December so that I can hit the ground running in January. The first step is to brainstorm and prioritize. Write down as many big dreams and goals as you can think of in a 30 minute session. The bigger the goal, the more impossible the goal, the better. Write down everything you think of, even it is seems silly.
Review all of your ideas, goals, and dreams. Ones that make you excited, highlight. Ones that you think can wait another year, scratch off. Go back and review the highlighted ones and only keep the ones that really excite you or the goals that you think will be most beneficial. Finally, narrow it down to the top 3 big goals that you want to work on for the year. You can get the Goal Setting Worksheet below.
Get Set!
Set SMART Goals
Goals, big or small, should be SMART goals- meaning they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time- based. For example, maybe you’ve decided to create a big goal to lose weight. Just creating a goal of “lose weight” is not specific enough. The goal should be more specific, like “lose 60 pounds in one year- by December 31, 2024”. You have specified how much to lose, a time frame for completion, and are able to measure weight loss. Will that goal be easy? No, but it is achievable if you break it down into smaller goals.
Break It Down
Breaking down your big goal into smaller goals and tasks increases your likelihood of success. Smaller goals, more easily and quickly achieved, also keep you motivated and on track toward your big goal so break your big goal down into monthly, weekly and daily goals.
Monthly Goals
Keeping with our weight loss example, just saying “lose 60 pounds in one year” can seem overwhelming and daunting. But, if you break it down into monthly goals, like “lose 5 pounds each month for 12 months”, that feels more achievable.
Weekly Goals
If the monthly goal is to lose 5 pounds, then break that down further into weekly goals. Your weekly goal would be to lose 1-1.5 pounds each week. That seems even easier to accomplish, right?
Daily Tasks
Finally, break that weekly goal down into daily tasks. To help you lose 1-1.5 pounds per week, you need to have goals like “exercise each day for 1 hour, only eat 1500 calories per day, drink 8 glasses of water, get 8 hours of sleep, etc. You get the idea.
While trying to lose 60 pounds in one year sounds incredibly difficult, 1 pound per week, or exercising every day doesn’t seem so hard. By breaking your big goal down into monthly, weekly and then daily goals, you can more easily achieve your ultimate goal within your designated time frame.
Goal!
Reward, Reassess and Reset
Be sure to celebrate your little wins on your journey to your ultimate goal. Taking time to celebrate your smaller wins keeps you focused on the bigger prize. Celebrations and rewards also motivate you to keep going. Don’t worry if you slip up along the way. We all have days and weeks when even the best plans go awry. Life happens and it is okay to get off track. Reassess your situation. Modify your smaller goals if needed to get back on track, and keep moving forward.
Achieving your wildest dreams, and creating your best life, is possible when you set clear, SMART goals. The Ready, Set, Goal method provides 3 easy steps for setting and achieving your goals. To ensure success, define and breakdown your goals into monthly, weekly and daily tasks. Celebrate your wins along the way and always keep your one, big goal in focus. Are you ready to live your best life? Ready, Set, Goal!
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