I tried the resolution thing and to be honest, it didn’t work for me. My mentality was “go big or go home”. I would set these unrealistic goals for myself and then half way into February found myself quitting whatever it is I said I would commit to for the year -motivating, right? 😐 After trial and error I learned that the best way to accomplish anything in life is to make small goals that once accomplished give you the motivation and momentum to accomplish bigger goals.
If you follow me on Instagram –here– you’ll know that this is how I started my year this year- with intentions to start every week with a few goals.
I got the ball rolling with these three:
I started the new year sick -hip hip hooray- and knew that what was most important was getting and feeling better. Setting these simple goals, I was able to do just that. So what does this mean and why does it matter?
For starters it means that while reaching for the moon and the stars is great, setting unrealistic goals for ourselves is not. You have to live and set your goals based on what is happening to you currently. If you’re sick (like I was) and set goals that you have to go to the gym at least 4 times in a week… how is that even possible? It’s not. This is why setting weekly goals and intentions works. You plan for your life as it’s happening and if you feel like a million dollars, maybe you can plan for more. The point is that while long term goals are amazing, short term goals help you get to the bigger picture.
So how do you set and achieve your goals/intentions this year?
Here are 4 ways!
| Write It Out |
I took a writing course at UofT last year and my professor said, “the best writers just write”. She went on to explain that you have to put down all your thoughts and nothing has to make sense. Grammar doesn’t matter. Sentence structure doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you get your thoughts down on paper. So write down what it is you’d like to accomplish this year. Want a new job? Write it down. Want to travel more? Write it down. Journals are great; you can write freely and have one place for all your ideas that you can always go back to.
| Make a Plan |
Now take all the things you’ve written down and map them out. What goals are short-term? What can you do weekly? And what are some goals that are more long-term? If you want to learn the piano by the end of the year you have to make a plan that will be conducive to making that happen. This may mean taking classes once a week or even once every two weeks (whatever works with your schedule). Structuring your goals helps you map out how you can accomplish them. If you have a short-term goal of saving money ask yourself how much you want to save and by what date you need or want this money. My advice is to start small and work your way up. With weekly goals you are able to see how much or how little you can accomplish. From there you can add or omit. Planning for what you want and need is the best way to getting your goals accomplished.
| Schedule Your Goals |
I write down everything. Literally. And let me tell you that it works. Princeton conducted an experiment on memory with note taking on a computer vs written. The results of this experiment concluded that handwritten note takers retain more information and are more successful on tests than those who took notes on a laptop. When we handwrite, we are translating the information which is why writing down your goals is important- you are processing. Again, why does this matter? It matters because you are more likely to remember and follow through if you write things down. Scheduling your goals, both written and even so far as scheduling them in your google calendars as reminders means you are making a commitment to getting them done and writing them down makes you accountable. So get an agenda and start scheduling your goals.
| Do Them |
I mean, planning, writing and thinking about things is great but you actually have to do the things you say you want to do. There is no better feeling than that of accomplishment and I promise once you start, you won’t want to stop. Another thing about setting and achieving small goals is that you are setting and creating good habits that subsequently become your way of life.
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day-in and day-out”
So my question to you is this:
What are your goals and intentions for this year and what methods are you using to getting them done?
Would love to know what your goals are. Leave me a comment and let me know!
KM