5 Steps For Intentional Goal Setting
Now is the time to set your goals for the new year! 2021 is the perfect time to get serious about your personal goals and what you want to accomplish. No goal is too big or too small as long as it is meaningful to you.
1. Be Specific
Often times people create goals for themselves without having a clear purpose in mind. Your goal should be specific and relevant to your wants and needs. If you create a specific goal with a solid reason for wanting to pursue it you are much more likely to achieve your goal. Avoid creating vague goals without a purpose or action plan.
Smart Goals Example –
Vague Goal: “I want to lose weight” Why? Because I want to be healthy
Specific Goal: “I want to work out three times a week” Why? Because I want to be healthy!
2. Be realistic about your goal
Setting realistic and attainable personal goals is key during this process. You know your strengths and weaknesses better than anyone so keep them in mind when goal setting. Your goals should challenge you and push you outside your comfort zone, but no so much so that you avoid them entirely. We want to avoid self-sabotage and imposter syndrome at all costs.
3. Make sure your goal is measurable
My favorite part of goal setting is measuring progress. Having measurable goals allows you to hold yourself accountable and celebrate small wins that are getting you close to achieving your goal. Depending on the goals I like to observe where I am in the process and how much further I need to go.
Smart Goals Example – “I worked out twice this week, now I have one more workout to go.” You can celebrate the two workouts you complete while still acknowledging and working towards that third workout.
4. Create a timeline for your goal
Timelines are huge when it comes to setting personal goals. Think of it as a deadline for work. You want to do everything you can to meet that deadline. Setting a timeline for goals holds you accountable and helps you stay motivated. Regardless of what the goal is a timeline can create a sense of urgency that you wouldn’t otherwise have.
5. Be flexible & Do Not Give Up
Life is unpredictable and our circumstances are ever changing. This means that we have to get creative with our goals sometimes. This doesn’t mean that we give up, it means that we find new ways to make it work. Being flexible can look like modifying the goal slightly, changing the timeline to allow more time, or maybe reimagine the why in the first place. No matter what challenges life throws at you stay committed and you’ll be surprised at what you can accomplish.
Genuinely, Jenae 