Goal setting is so important because it keeps us focused on what we want to accomplish. Setting a goal does not have to be complicated, though. The phrase “goal setting” can be overwhelming because too often people set goals that are too lofty. I like to stick to five basic principles when I set goals.
- What I want to accomplish and how I’ll break it down into smaller goals
- How much time I’ll need to accomplish the goal
- Materials or money needed to accomplish the goal
- How I’ll celebrate my accomplishment when I complete the goal
- A reflection of the difficulty of the task, things to change, and things to keep.
What to Accomplish
When you’re choosing a goal, you need to be specific and realistic. Setting smaller goals will help you reach your larger end goal. For example, if you want your house to be clutter-free, but every room has 12 boxes needing to be sorted, that is overwhelming and unattainable. However, if you break this goal down to more realistic goals, you will not be overwhelmed and will be much more likely to complete it. You must complete the small tasks to get to the big win. A more attainable goal would be to empty six boxes from one room in a week’s time by working one hour per night. Notice the specificity with the goal, the time needed, and when it would be completed.
How Much Time
Once you break your goal down into attainable and smaller goals, you’ll need to figure out how long it will realistically take you to complete the task. Success doesn’t come overnight. Not being realistic will cause frustration, which will lead to you being more likely to quit your goal altogether.
Your timeline could be a long-term and short-term goal timeline. You may want to have your house clutter-free by the end of the month, but your short-term goals of taking an hour each night to empty six boxes will be a separate timeline, keeping you to scheduling one hour a night that is devoted to emptying boxes. Doing this will allow you to achieve smaller wins. When you see progress, you’re more likely to stick with something.
Materials or Money Needed
Some goals can cost you nothing, but there are often times a cost is associated with accomplishing a task. Whether it be a gym membership, containers for organization, or even groceries for healthier eating, you need to budget for these. If you don’t, you could come across a situation for which you weren’t prepared to shell out as much money as necessary, which could also cause you to give up on your goal. If you’ve planned ahead with your budgeting, you can more than likely find some great deals for what you need, which also helps with finances. Having a plan allows you to prepare and save, which leads to staying on track to reach the finish line.
Celebrating Success
I always plan what I’ll reward myself with when I finish a goal. The reward may be a natural consequence of finishing your goal. For instance, if you wanted to declutter, your reward will be a stress-free mind when you enter your new and improved space. If your goal was weight loss, you will mentally and physically be rewarded with looking and feeling better. You may, though, want to buy yourself new clothes. Or if you end up cleaning out your living room, you may find you want to repaint or add some new décor. You worked hard. Be sure to treat yourself!
Reflection
Finally, reflection is a very important part of goal setting that often goes forgotten. Reflecting on what went well will help you plan more successful goals in the future. Did you plan accordingly? Use a calendar? Budget successfully? Whatever worked should be noted so you can be as successful for the next goal you set.
Looking at what didn’t work is also important. If you needed to make changes or something held you back, recognizing these setbacks will help you better plan for your next goal. Even if these kept you from succeeding, learn from them. Failure is ok as long as you make changes needed to resolve these issues so they don’t happen again.
Goal setting can be overwhelming when you don’t have a plan, but if you plan how much time you’ll need; budget for materials or money needed; decide how you’ll celebrate your accomplishment; and reflect on what did and didn’t work, you’ll find yourself completing more tasks than ever before. If you still feel overwhelmed thinking about tackling tasks with goal setting, contact me. We can work on it together to create beauty and order in a chaotic world.
