I love this time of year. You get to look at the past and decide how to make the future better. A new year is always a great time to evaluate your life.
I have actually taught a couple classes on goal setting and have been to a few goal setting classes myself. And from those discussions I have found that many individuals find goal setting intimidating and/or a waste of time. The biggest reason for those thoughts seemed to be the goals that were set were never accomplished. So in this article I would like to address how to set and accomplish your goals.
In a class I took several years ago the instructor had us write a brag letter to ourselves listing everything that was great about our life and all that we had accomplished that year. When the class was finished we were required to tear up the letter and burn it (or throw it away). It was very hard for many of us to get rid of that letter.;
But that assignment had several purposes. It really made you think about your life. It made you focus on the good. And it made you want to keep those good feelings in your life. And it the year had been short of accomplishments it made you want to start over. And by destroying the letter you were able to focus on the future.
If you have a hard time setting goals then I would recommend that same assignment to you. It will help you focus on the next step which is thinking about the goals you would like to set.
Goals can usually be broken down into the following four sections: Mental, Physical, Financial, and Spiritual. Everyone should try to set a goal in each of these sections. While physical and financial goals are the most common goals set (ie: physical - losing weight and financial - eliminating debt or improving your career) the other two areas area equally as important. Mental goals really give you an opportunity to focus on your self. Mental goals can be about eliminating stress, developing talents, learning something new, etc. But it really helps you focus on what you need in your life. Spiritual is equally important. Spiritual does not necessarily mean religious. Spiritual is really about serving others. Improving relationships is the best way to look at spiritual goals whether improving your relationship with your family, friends, or your God. All these goal categories are important in our lives. These four goal areas are really the core of developing a better you.
Once you have your goals in mind you will need to write them down. Once they are written down you will need to go back and decide how you are going to accomplish that goal.
Here are a couple examples:
Mental: Less Stress
Physical: Loss 10 lbs
Financial: Eliminate Discover Card Bill
Spiritual: Be a better Wife/Parent
Mental HOW TO (Less Stress):
1.) Make a chore chart for my kids to have them help with the house more
2.) Find a good handy man or delegate more repairs to my husband
3.) Eat healthy and exercise
4.) Get kids to bed 30 minutes earlier to make time for my hobbies
5.) Go to bed on time to give myself a feeling of rest the next day
Physical HOW TO (Lose 10 lbs):
1.) Join a gym
2.) Go to the gym M, W, F
3.) Eat healthy
4.) No food past 8pm
Financial HOW TO (Eliminate Credit Card Bill):
1.) Eliminate home phone
2.) Put money that would go to phone toward bill
3.) Pay other extra money when possible
Spiritual HOW TO (Be Better Wife/Mother):
1.) Have a set date night twice a month with spouse
2.) Have a set family night with my children
3.) When doing hobbies at night try to do them in the same room as husband
4.) Have husband go to the gym with you for more together time
5.) Praise children and husband for accomplishments
The last thing I would like to recommend is make your goals visible. This is THE ONLY WAY to accomplish your goals. Otherwise you will forget about them. And don’t be afraid to change the HOW TO steps as needed. Sometimes we find that our steps aren’t helping us achieve our goals. Don’t be afraid to create new steps to get there. Reviewing your goals often will help you stay on track!
Here are a few ideas to help you remember your goals: Tape them to your bathroom mirror. Make a poster collage of your goals and place it on the floor next to your bed so you step on them every morning. Write them in your planner. Write on the 1st day of every month in your calendar to review your goals.
HAPPY NEW YEAR and enjoy Getting Your Goals in Gear!
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