The New Year brings many things and goal setting is usually high on the agenda – whether it’s personal or professional goals, now is the time to evaluate, reassess and hit the restart button.
It’s all about perspective
Knowing what it is you want to achieve this year is the first step to setting your goals. Be clear about what changes you would like to make and how achievable they are. There is no point setting yourself 10 different goals and only achieving three of them, you’ll end up feeling overwhelmed and discouraged and probably end up achieving none.
So, you need to be realistic and put into perspective what is going to be manageable both physically and mentally.
Benefits of setting goals
We all know that life seems to get busier year after year and circumstances can change at the drop of a hat, whether we are in control of them or not.
There are many benefits to setting yourself goals, no matter how small or large they may be.
Setting specific goals enables you to have clear direction and purpose, it can also increase productivity and your level of motivation to complete a task, especially when you have set priorities for one or two tasks at a time.
Managing multiple tasks at once will more often than not set you up for failure.
How to set goals
Whilst having big, shiny goals is great, knowing how to create a strategy to achieve them is probably the most important to ensure you are going to be successful.
Break down your goals – set yourself smaller targets to begin with. Work out what is going to be achievable in a day, a week, and a month. Again, be realistic. Having your goals written down is also a great way to keep you accountable.
Plan, plan and plan again.
Some goals may have a specific deadline, whereas others can be fluid, timings may change, and might not have a major impact on anything else you are working on.
You should also consider what a typical day looks like; while you may have set yourself three small goals for the day, there will be situations that are out of your control. You might receive a phone call that could impact your plans and throw your whole day off course. This is where you can reassess and reset your targets and deliverables to ensure you are able to accomplish them.
Achievement and motivation
When you have clear, defined goals in place and you’re ticking them off each day or each week, this can create a sense of achievement and ultimately give you the determination and motivation to continue on your path to success.
Don’t go it alone
Sharing your goals with others can also keep you on track to achieving your goals – both personally and professionally. While sharing your goals makes you accountable, it can also help if you are stuck in a rut or feeling overwhelmed if something has derailed your plans.
Having someone to talk to can help you stay focussed and remind you of what’s important and why you have these goals in the first place.
Remember, it’s the small wins that allow us to achieve big goals!
