Goals, Goals, Goals!
For many of us, goal setting is an exciting exercise, and for some of us, it can be an overwhelming task. Either way, we reset, refocus and walk into a new year or new chapter, with intention. As the weeks wear on, and the chaos of day-to-day life ensues, the excitement fades and we can find ourselves feeling defeated. It can be hard to channel the same energy we started with and we wonder, “What happened?”
Trust me. It happens to the best of us! Below are a few hacks I’ve learned over the years that help me stay the course and keep pushing, even when the struggle is real:
1) Morning Routine
The success of my day begins with executing my morning routine. I do the same thing every morning, seven days a week, which includes writing down my goals! Starting my day strong means I’m running my day. My day isn’t running me. I start my morning with momentum, heading in the right direction to have an awesome day! You’ve seen it before: “Success is on the other side of your consistency.” For me, my morning routine is EVERYTHING!
2) Set One Achievable Goal
When I set my annual goals, I love to dream big, and work my way back. I intentionally set one goal that will require me to reach but is relatively achievable with a little time and focus. Why? Because it feels good to check a goal off your list! I believe in the power of momentum, and if you have the momentum of completing a goal early on, you’ll feel motivated to continue down that path.
3) Get an Accountability Partner
We have family and friends we love, but not everyone is on the same personal growth journey we are. You’ll find it helpful to identify one friend (or, like me, your entire social media community), who you can share your goals with and who will “jam you up” in love. I have a rad “girl-gang.” A group of friends who know what the others are working on. We regularly ask each other about our goals, cheer each other on, listen, support through struggles and most importantly, celebrate each other’s wins!
4) Don’t Set Too Many Goals at Once
Goal setting is a creative and exciting process, but it can also become overwhelming! I personally like to start big! I visualize living my best life 10 years from now, and I go big! I write it all down. Then, I ask myself what my life will need to look like in five years to achieve my 10-year vision and I write that down. Lastly, I contemplate what I need to do this year to work towards my five and 10-year plans. I identify 10 solid goals to work on, in the next 12 months, that will get me closer to being that woman, and having that life. As you complete each goal, you can add another. I’m never working on more than 10 at one time.
5) Write Down Your Goals Daily
As important as my daily routine is, I write out my goals every single day! I incorporate this into my morning routine, because it’s such a priority. When I say I do it daily, I mean: I do it daily!
6) Define Your WHY
It’s critical for me to sit down and define why I’m setting aside to time to pursue my life with intention, because it’s a lot of work! It’s worthwhile work, but it requires sacrifice and change. When I’ve identified my WHY, I have something I can meditate on to get excited about, and also something to refocus on when I’ve lost momentum. Here’s my WHY: I must lay it all out on the field of life to see what the Creator has in store for me. Because I know His plans are so much greater than my own. I must leave a legacy for my children. I cannot get to the end of my life wondering, “What If?” My WHY excites me and inspires me to get off of my butt, to take risks and to love big!
7) Change Your State
We all have bad days, seasons of struggle and times we don’t feel motivated. A few minutes of physical activity can change your entire mental state. A quick walk around the block at lunch, 10-20 jumping jacks in the restroom or doing a breathing exercise at your desk works wonders. If you take a risk, you might surprise yourself. A few moments to change your surroundings and increase blood flow will work wonders on your mental state and get you back in the game!
8) Remind Yourself That You’re Worth It
At the end of the day, you must believe (even if it doesn’t come naturally) that you are worth it. You deserve to be the best version of yourself, to reach your full potential and to chase your dreams. There is a purpose for your life, and you are entitled to live out that purpose, without regret or guilt. You may have to shed decades of conditioning to do this, but you will not reach your life’s full potential without truly believing this. You will be a better you, for everyone else, when you do the work on you, and believe that you are worth it. Because, YOU ARE!
