January is a known time for goal planning. Checking in on our progress throughout the year is important to ensure our dreams and desires are being fulfilled. According to U.S News and World Report, around 80% of resolutions fail. Usually, because we forget about them! So, what are the 20% doing to ensure success?!
Three tips to crush your goals
- Create your goal, and more importantly, create little action steps that you can do every day. Baby steps add up!
- Share your goal! This creates accountability and support.
- Incentivize yourself. Set rewards for yourself to make the process as fun as possible.
Planning your goal
• Short-term
• Long-term
What category does it fall under?
• Self-care
• Friends & family
• Home Life
• Fun & Adventure
• Finance
• Health & Fitness
• Romance/Love
• Career
Make it SMART!
Specific
Measureable
Attainable
Relevant
Timely
Example
Instead of, “I want to start waking up earlier so I can do more self care”, a smart goal would say, “I want to wake up at 6 am everyday, so that I can have an hour to myself every morning for self care. In this hour I will either work out, or read a book on my deck. I will put a gold star on my calendar for every day that I do this. In order for this goal to happen, I need to be in bed by 10 pm.”
This goal is a long-term goal, under the category of self-care.
It is SPECIFIC – 6 am wake up, everyday.
It is MEASUREABLE – Gold star on their calendar for the days they did it.
It is ATTAINABLE – As long as they go to bed by 10 pm!
It is RELEVANT – The persons goal is to do more self-care, delegating time in the morning will aid this.
It is TIMELY – There is no end date to the goal, the goal is to do it everyday.
When there is a goal with no specific end date, rewards are very important. Incentivize yourself!
“If I do this every day for one week, I will get a pedicure.”
Once you have completed your micro-goal, have another one set.
“If I do this every day for three weeks, I will get a massage.”
Notice how the rewards are centered around the category of life that they are looking to improve.
If your goal is in “health & fitness”, maybe you reward yourself with a gym membership, new clothes, or a fitness watch. If your goal is in “friends and family”, maybe you plan a fun weekend together!
There is still time left in the year to conquer your goals. I challenge you to revisit one of your goals and apply the principles of this blog to it! You will do great!