Today, I am going to talk about setting goals. Not just ANY goals, but REALISTIC goals. I’m pretty good about setting goals, but I lack the follow up that it takes to make my goals realistic. Below are some tips for how to set and follow through with personal goals.
1. Decide on if your goal is SHORT TERM or LONG TERM. Short term goals are smaller, more obtainable goals that may take just a few steps to complete. They generally take less time, but the satisfaction of completion is still great! Long term goals may take the course of a few months or years. In order to make these goals obtainable, you need to develop a solid plan.
2. In order to reach any goal, whether it be short or long term, you will need a plan. These plans are made of many different smaller steps and goals. For example: A short term goal might be to run a 5k. You will first need to be able to walk 5k, then you will need to develop stamina. Then, BOOM! You can run a 5k. A long term goal might be to own your own business. This will take MANY more steps than just waking up and owning your business. You will have to get licensing, space, employees, etc.
3. Write your goals down. This put them in the forefront of your mind and makes you more aware that they need to be accomplished! I’ve heard it so many times, and it’s true that it’s not a goal until it’s written down. Before you write it down it’s just a dream. Writing it down puts it into reality. If you’re anything like me, you will be happy to cross it off your list when it’s completed.
4. Don’t be swayed by other people to change your goal. If you want to lose 20 lbs in 2014, you can do it! If you see that a friend made a goal to lose 50 lbs, DO NOT feel like you have to change your goal. Work on meeting your goal, but if you exceed it, think of how awesome it will be to say you met your goal 2 or 3 times! No one should set your personal goals except for YOU.
5. If you get off track, not all is lost. Just because you have dedicated yourself to working out or blogging or not smoking every day DOES NOT mean that if you mess up, your whole plan is a loss. It just means that you turn it around the next morning or the next minute you have to improve yourself.
6. Believe in yourself. Do everything you can to tune out all the negative, all the haters, all the people and things you think are holding your process back. When you start to set goals and refine yourself, you will not only notice many new things about YOURSELF, but about the people you surround yourself with. Do not be discouraged by others’ progress either! Take it as some motivation!! “Well if Brittney can do it, so can I!!!” Mostly, believe in yourself, because you should love yourself like the ones closest to you do. You deserve to acheive your goals.
I hope and pray this is the motivation you need to start planning some goals. SET GOALS. Not only for the new year, but for 5 years from now. And do it because there are things you want to accomplish, not because your boyfriend thinks you should. I love you and believe in you! I will be sharing my newest goals on January 1st! I hope by then you will have some to share with me as well. ~B
