How to set and achieve your goals
"When you set goals, you take control of your life and focus on what is important. You make improved decisions and better use of your time and other resources."
Good day explorers and happy new month.
It's the eighth month of the year and signifies that the year is slowly coming to an end. This year has been filled with drama, happy and sad moments especially with the Corona virus pandemic affecting us either positively or negatively. Without dwelling on the past since we can't change it but can influence how we want our future to look like, I want to ask you two questions;
1. What do you want from life?
2. What do you want to achieve?
“A goal properly set is halfway reached.” ~ Zig Ziglar
Before you can achieve anything in life, you need to set a goal. Your goal is like a map or compass which directs and guides you. Goal setting helps us become more aware and purposeful in making the decisions that create our reality. Without clear goals and a plan to achieve them, our dreams and wishes remain just that- dreams and wishes.
When you set goals, you take control of your life and focus on what is important. You make improved decisions and better use of your time and other resources.
As Matt Hogan once said "Give a man a bow and arrow and tell him to, “SHOOT!” and his first response would be, “At what?” When there is no target, there is no purpose for shooting. He could shoot the arrow anywhere and wherever the arrow ends up would be where the end of the story. Not much to it.
On the other hand, if you give the archer a target and challenge him to hit the bullseye – everything changes. This is because you have given him something to aim at. Something to challenge his skills; something to measure his progress and something that gives his efforts – purpose.
Let us talk on steps to create your action plan and achieve your goals.
1. Get in the right mindset
By setting personal goals, you are choosing to improve as a person and live a better life. Spend a moment thinking about where you are right now and where you would like to be. Accept what you cannot change.
To move forward, you need to let go of the past. Learn from it and let it go. Your new life can start now. Identify what motivates and inspires you.
It is hard to achieve a goal you do not care much about. Decide what is really important to you. Which ideas give you a feeling of excitement?
2. Write your action plan
Consider short, medium and long-term goals. What do you want your life to look like in 3, 6, 12 months and beyond? It can be helpful to have goals that are both big and small. Consider all areas of your life,think about whether you have dreams and goals for different areas of your life which can include;
* health and fitness
* relationships and friendships
* home and family
* finances
* work and career
* community
* spirituality
* travel and recreation
* hobbies and skills
You might have goals for some areas but not others, and that’s okay. Start writing down your ideas. Write your goals. Goals that are not written down are at risk of remaining ideas. Writing them down makes them concrete and important.
3. Take action
The only way to achieve goals is to do something. Actions are building blocks from which you create your life. Keep your action plan in a place where you can see it and refer to it regularly. You may also wish to place reminders or prompters around your home environment.
Check your progress daily or as appropriate for your goal. Track progress on the timeline.
4. Accept challenges and stay positive
Achieving goals takes effort. If it were easy, you would have it already. Know that ups and downs are part of the process. Reflect on these challenges so that you can learn and grow from them.
Your plan may need to be adjusted as you progress. The important thing is to not allow self-doubt and discouragement sneak in. Regardless of where you are in the process, there is always a way forward.Stay positive.
I want you to know that despite this pandemic, there are people still making it big and achieving their respective goals. If you raise your standards but don’t really believe you can meet them, you’ve already sabotaged yourself. You won’t even try; you’ll lack the sense of certainty that allows you tap the deepest capacity within you. Our beliefs are like unquestioned commands, telling us how things are, what is possible and impossible, what we can and cannot do. They shape every action, thought and feeling that we experience. As a result, changing our belief systems is central to making real and lasting changes in our lives.
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