The Ultimate Guide for Setting Personal Goals
Most people have an idea of the achievements they want to make in their lifetime, things they want to check off that bucket list, or challenges they want to rise to. But hey, we’ve also got a lot on our daily, weekly and even monthly plates, which makes it hard to find time to work on those bigger, long-term goals. It can be hard to keep your sights on the goals above the waves when you’re being slammed in your face with water right where you are. But if you don’t have an idea of where you’re swimming to, you’ll realize you’re just treading water in the same place…or even worse, you swam in a completely different direction making it harder to get back on track. Okay, enough with the ocean metaphors. Let’s get to how to actually set meaningful goals that get you where you need and want to go.
First, to set meaningful goals, knowing WHAT you want to achieve, specifically, is the most important step. Something general like “get healthy” or “make more money” is just not going to cut it. You need to get real specific and using a goal-setting framework, like a SMART goal, works well. If you’ve never heard of SMART goals, it’s an acronym that stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. A general, not-good goal like “get healthy” turns into: “I will lose 10 pounds by April 1st by walking 30 minutes three times per week and consuming 100 ounces of water each day.” Let’s break this down:
Specific - I know exactly what needs to be done each day and week: drink 100 ounces of water daily and walk 30 minutes three times a week.
Measurable - yup, got measures in there to track against: am I meeting my goal if I walk 10 minutes a week? Nope.
Achievable - did I set a goal to run a triathlon next week? No, and going from laying on the couch every day to a triathlon, is probably not achievable in this short amount of time.
Relevant - if I want to lose 10 pounds, I’m not going to focus on paying off debt..just yet. What I’m specifically doing and measuring is related to that goal of losing 10 pounds.
Timely - it’s got a due date. April 1st. Better get on it.
Second, you need to discover your “why” behind that goal and make sure it’s inspirational. Having goals that are inspirational to others is a great byproduct, but when it comes to meaningful goal setting, you need to inspire numero uno…yourself. If you’re wanting to lose 10 pounds so you can show up at your next reunion looking good, that’s okay inspiration. But the motivation of getting healthy to take an epic Grand Canyon hiking trip with your kids, that’s inspirational. Get clear on your motivation behind your goal and make sure it inspires you.
Third, break big goals down into chunks. Wanna write a book in the next three years? Make your chunked down goal “write one chapter by three months from now” and so on. If you’re achieving your mini-baby goals, little by little, you’ll achieve that big goal. And by no means do I endorse eating elephants, but that children's book is right that IF you did choose to eat an elephant, you would do so one bite at a time. So, it feels good to make progress by achieving those mini-goals and it helps to motivate you even more.
Lastly, find a goal buddy. You’re way more likely to keep at your goals when you have a friend who’s cheering you on. If you want to go to the gym, are you more likely to go if a friend says they’ll meet you there at 5pm? Yup. Makes it a heck of a lot harder to cancel out on. Your conscience is here to cheer you on and also give you a guilt trip.
If you need help with goal setting, prioritization, or even a partner in figuring out your next big move in life or career, contact me today for an exploratory call or sign up for 1-on-1 coaching to see how life and career coaching can help you take action and accountability in your life.
I’m cheering you on and I’m rooting for you to set and achieve goals that take you over the waves. Let’s connect soon!
Love, Niki