Setting goals always feels good in the beginning, doesn’t it? A new year rolls in, or maybe it’s just a Monday morning, and you feel ready to start fresh. You’re motivated, hopeful, maybe even a little ambitious.
But later, suddenly, life happens. Several weeks later, you recall your goals, but your excitement wears off, and you don’t know how to start.
It’s not that people don’t want to achieve their goals or don’t want to improve. Many genuinely do. However, it is not the goal that is a problem, but the way we choose to address it.
Big, ambitious goals look and sound well… in theory. However, they often come with a long list of steps, new knowledge or skills to acquire, some fears to overcome, and very quickly, they feel like a second full-time job.
And yet, it is still possible to achieve small and big goals alike if we just do it smarter and move gently. Being overwhelmed is usually the biggest obstacle to achieving goals.
Here are a few easy, realistic ways to make goals that actually work, and won’t burn you out in the process.
Start Tiny (No, Seriously)
A lot of people think a goal has to be huge to be meaningful. Like “get fit” or “write a novel.”
While such goals are inspiring and exciting, and also are totally legit, people face the first problem on the way to their goal when trying to understand where to actually even begin.
While you can keep your big goal in the back of your mind, you can also zoom in. Instead of the idea of getting fit somehow immediately, think 10 minutes of exercise and a walk in the evening. Or writing one page every day.
Tiny goals may feel like not much, but the secret here is that they are easier to stick with. While you might feel the urge to move faster, what you want is consistency that creates change without burnout.
Not all goals can be achieved exclusively through such routines; becoming fit is a good example, but to really write and publish and market a novel, you will need more.
However, even on your worst day, you are more likely to manage one tiny step towards your goal.
Focus on the Doing, Not Just the End Result
We all love a good before-and-after story, and we all want to get our hands on the final result. However, the really final-final result can be far away, especially when you’re just at the beginning of your journey.
The thing to consider is also focusing on the process of doing. Firstly, little things you do regularly will eventually take you somewhere (further than not doing anything at all).
Secondly, what you do and how you do it also matter. If you are enjoying it, you have a higher chance of getting where you eventually want to get. If the process of doing does not make you content, do you even want to achieve that goal after all?
Break Things Down into Micro-Goals
Think of micro-goals as a natural part of the journey towards your “big goal”. If you want to eat healthier, your micro-goal can be making one home-cooked meal per week.
This is completely doable, and once you manage, you feel that you can start building from there.
These little wins add up, and rather fast, and allow you to move on the way, but also feel like you’re progressing (even if it is slow!) Most people never manage a major lifestyle overhaul overnight, and you should avoid this mindset, as well.
Celebrate the Little Wins
You don’t need to throw a party every time you check off a task, but why not take a second to say, “Hey, I did that”? Praise yourself, get grounded in this feeling of achievement.
The more obstacles or distractions you have, the more your achievements deserve credit.
However, don’t limit yourself only to a mental high-five. Treat yourself with a chocolate, go for a walk, or even sit down and read those online casino reviews Canada you wanted to read without distraction. Recognizing your effort and progress helps keep motivation alive.
Choose What You Actually Care About
Sometimes we make goals based on what we think we should do, or what “feels right” in society. For example, we want to learn to get up at 5 am because a popular blogger said this is the key to productivity and weight loss.
Whether this is really the key or not is out of question here; the question is, if you are not a morning person, do you really need to force it? Will you be enjoying the goal and the journey towards your goal? Or will you be suffering through every step?
(Achieving goals should not be suffering, this is an outdated concept.)
The best goals are the ones that feel right for you, something you are built for. If you love drawing and painting, maybe rebuilding your car with your own hands because your friends do that is cool, but is it what you really wanted?
One Last Thing: You Can Take It Slow
There’s no prize for doing everything fast. Some of the most meaningful changes take time. And that’s okay.
About The Author
