The Sizzle and the Fizzle of Goal Setting

So, 2018 started and you had all these great ideas about how this year would be different from the rest. You made some really great goals and decided you were going to break some bad habits. You might have thought about changing your morning routine or incorporating some good habits into your life. What happened? Are you still on track? If so, awesome! Keep making progress and moving forward. But, if not, don’t despair. Even if you didn’t make any goals for this year, it certainly isn’t too late.

Whether you got off track or haven’t made them yet, here are some tips to help push you forward:

• Re-write your goals – Write your goals down as SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-specific). Make sure to include a reasonable deadline.
• Make them Short Term goals (30- to 90-day goals) – Making shorter smaller goals keeps you more motivated. You can see progress more quickly, and you are less apt to procrastinate.
• Use the “Cutting Time” Method – If you have a goal that you want to accomplish in a 12-months, think about what you have to have finished in 6-months to stay on track with that goal. Then, do the same with the 6-month milestone. What do you need to have finished in three months in order to achieve your 6-month milestone and keep you on track with your 12-month goal? Now, you have a relevant 90-day goal to start working toward.
• Make sure they are Life Stage relevant – Are your goals in line with other areas of your life? For example, if you want to play golf in every state, but you have toddlers at home, your life stage may not be ideal to work on that goal.
• Don’t have too many goals – Make sure that you aren’t in overwhelm mode. You can’t do it all at once. If there are a lot of goals you feel you can accomplish, space them out in different quarters. Try not to work on more than 2 habit goals and 3 achievement goals at a time.
• Start with small steps – Do the easiest thing first to start so that you are making some progress and moving forward.