My Realisation
I have always loved setting myself goals and working towards achieving them. For a while, I felt really good and was loving working towards my goals. All of a sudden I felt extremely unmotivated, I wasn’t achieving my goals and instead of feeling inspired by them, I felt anxious and hopeless. I gave up and stopped setting goals.
For a little while, things stayed that way. One day I decided to start setting myself goals again but I wanted them to be realistic and achievable. I realised that I wasn’t achieving my goals because they were unrealistic and unachievable. I was setting myself up to fail before I had even begun.
Are Your Goals Realistic?
The first step to setting yourself achievable goals is to ask yourself if the current goals you have set for yourself are realistic or if they are nothing short of a miracle. Can you realistically achieve the goal but putting some work and effort in? If not you are in the right place because I am going to give you my top tips on how to set realistic goals for yourself.
Set Specific Goals
Setting specific goals is easier said than done but it can be really helpful. Rather than setting a broad goal have a specific one instead. For example, I want to improve at my job could become I would like to improve my knowledge of the computer software we use in work.
By setting this specific goal it becomes much easier to focus on. It is also much easier to make a plan and work out how you can achieve this goal.
Set Measurable Goals
This is another key factor is setting realistic goals. I like setting measurable goals because I can see how much I have progressed. Say you wanted to improve your running you could set a goal of running 5k, this is both specific and measurable. You could do some practice jogs and runs and record how far you jog/run. This makes your goal measurable, you can see how far you have come and how far you still have left to go.
Write Your Goal Down
I often find writing my goal down helps me to understand it better. I can then see if I need to change my goal to make it achievable. If it is fine as it is then I can begin to start planning my goal.
I also like to write my goal down because it feels concrete then, rather than it just being something I am thinking about in my head. This also motivates me as when I have then achieved the goal I can cross it off my list.
Believe In The Process
If you don’t believe that you will be able to achieve your goal you won’t be able to. If you think you can and will achieve your goal then you will. Having a positive attitude towards your goals is extremely important in helping you achieve them.
Make A Plan
Once you have decided on a specific measurable goal and written it down, it is important to make a plan of how you will achieve that goal. This is my favourite part of goal planning.
After I have picked a new goal I like to create a plan. Writing down steps to achieve a goal. If your goal is to finish writing your book, a way you could plan for this is by starting a new habit and setting yourself ten minutes every single day to write. If you don’t feel like writing or aren’t inspired on any given day then after your ten minutes is up you can stop, however, if you are inspired and have some ideas in your head you can continue writing. This is an easy first step and will get you into the right mindset to continue writing.
Making plans for your goals doesn’t need to be complicated. I often find that setting a new habit to correspond with your current goal can be one of the most effective ways to plan and achieve that goal.
Your Goals
I hope this helps you in setting realistic goals that you will be able to achieve. Whilst this entire blog is about setting realistic goals I still believe that it is good to set goals that aren’t realistic. A goal that is more like a dream, this can be motivational and ensure that you keep working hard, but if all of your goals are like this they won’t be motivational for long. Striking a balance between the two is important.
