Goals are a lofty thing for many of us. I feel that any time I mention my new years resolutions people usually brush it off… because most have usually forgotten these by the end of the week!
I have definitely been guilty of this. Life is full of so many distractions. Life and the stuff we fill our time with always seems to get in the way of who we really want to be and what we really want to do.
Still, I have noticed that when I push myself to achieve more, my life is impacted for the better in SO MANY WAYS.
I feel more confident.
I am happier.
I am more productive.
I could continue on and on.
The point is, goal setting and ACHIEVING helps us to become better, more balanced people. So, here I have 5 tips for meeting your wellness goals! Enjoy, and as always, please share if this impacts you for the better.
Set Your Sights
You can’t go anywhere if you don’t first have your eyes set on where you want to be!
As the wise Cheshire Cat said in Alice in Wonderland:
If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.
Lewis Carrol
It seems so obvious. But really, set your sights and success will unfold from there. Determine where you want to be, and then you can determine the best path to get you there. If you don’t have your mind made up, your progress will be slight if existent at all!
Create Your Goal
Know where you’re at personally? Got some things you want to improve? Do you know who you want to be? Great! Now comes the goal setting.
I love the simplicity of S.M.A.R.T. goal setting. You can read more here, but essentially, SMART is an acronym to help you reap the greatest success from your goals. You want them to be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound
So, you need to carefully construct the specifics of your goal.
Break it Down
What is the time measure of your goal? The end of the year? This month? If you do have a long term goal of this nature, make sure you break it down into weekly and daily steps. For example. If my goal is to run a marathon by the end of the year, I need to set daily and weekly running goals, as well as cross-training and probably nutrition as well.
My wise mission president once asked me how I would go about eating an elephant.
I was about 8 months into my 18 month mission and was feeling overwhelmed and discouraged. There was SO MUCH I wanted to achieve, and I felt there was no way I would ever measure up.
But you would never eat an elephant in one bite. After determining the best way to prepare the meat, you would probably make it into smaller pieces just for the preparation process. And then you would proceed to eat it one bite at a time.
Sorry to the vegetarians out there.
But you get the idea.
You would never attempt to eat an elephant in any other way.
One bite at a time. It’s the only way to succeed at an otherwise (seemingly) impossible task. So break down your vision and take it one bite at a time. Maybe this is a number of specific smaller goals. Remember to start where you are.
Write it Down
Writing your goal down, preferably somewhere you will see it and refer to it OFTEN. As in multiple times a day. This might be at your desk, on your mirror, or in a notebook. You can also use this simple goal sheet I created on google. It’s nothing fancy, but it does the job! Feel free to embellish or simplify it as you wish. The point is, you need to remind yourself of your goal often- every day, throughout the day.
Set up a Measure of Accountability or Rewards
How are you going to ensure that you keep to your goal? I like to share my goals with someone else so I can’t ignore my goal as easily. Better yet, committing someone else to working with you on the goal allows you to keep each other accountable! You can also establish a reward component. It seems silly, but it is so effective. Give yourself a reward if you reach your long-term goal at the end of the week or month or give yourself smaller rewards if you meet the daily bite sized goals. Rewards are a powerful way to keep ourselves motivated!
Have Fun
Really, the entire point of increasing our wellness is to be HAPPIER. To live a fuller life. You shouldn’t be miserable while working on your goal. Sometimes I have set fitness goals and worked to achieve them for a couple weeks. But if these goals include lifting weights at the gym, I am almost guaranteed to cop out! Why? Because I find weight lifting to be the most BORING exercise (see my ideas for fun outside-of-the gym exercises). I feel intimidated by the regular gym-goers. I don’t like the smell or the sweat. But give me a bike or a beautiful trail to hike and fitness is a whole new story. The point is to make your goal individualized. Do what works for you! Find fun ways to boost your personal wellness pursuits.
I hope this motivates you to keep pressing forward to reach your goals. You can do it! I know that simply working toward positive goals will have a positive impact on your life!
Comment below with ways you help yourself stay motivated and work toward your SMART goals. I would love to hear how your goals are coming along and what you are currently working on.
