Goal Setting Strategies that Keep You Moving Forward and On Track
It’s that time again to reflect on the year behind us and anticipate the year ahead. The last couple years has been a wild ride for most of us, the craziest of our lifetime in many ways. How was it for you? Did you feel knocked off track? Or were you able to readjust, refocus and make some pretty good lemonade with all those lemons we got this year? Although it certainly didn’t turn out the way I anticipated, it was a pretty great year for me overall. I readjusted my focus, did some deep inner work, and let some things go that was necessary for my personal and spiritual growth. One of my many mantras is, “Be the willow, not the oak.” The willow sways and bends in the storms, but the rigid oak will snap under a heavy gust.
As you may know, most New Year’s Resolutions get kicked to the curb by mid-January, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Here are some strategies that’ll keep you focused, committed and moving forward in achieving your goals.
Prepare a Sacred Space: I love rituals. I do this when setting goals and intentions, and for letting go rituals to clear space for the new. Rituals feel purposeful and sacred, like a vow I’m making to myself, to be honored and not taken lightly. Most of us would never break a promise or vow to a friend, but we break our commitments to ourselves all the time. Let this be the year that you honor your word to yourself. You deserve it.
Before we go any further, stop and gather a few items listed below and create your own sacred space. Let’s do this together….really! I’ll wait right here……
Find a quiet spot. Turn off all distractions and make this a meditative experience. Allow at least a couple hours of quiet time. Set some boundaries, ask someone to watch the kids, etc.
Notebook or journal. It’s important to write your goals down. Date, sign and save it as a contract to yourself.
Calendar or day planner. Scheduling your new habits, routines, deadlines and target dates on your calendar makes it more real and stays in your sight every day. Honor your calendar as you would any other important appointments or commitments.
Candles, incense, or essential oils helps set the mood and clears stagnant energy.
Crystals bring in a high vibe. I love connecting with my crystal companions for meditation, healing work and journaling.
Soft music, if you like. I use meditation music with Solfeggio tones (found on YouTube).
Okay, you’re all set! Here are some areas in which you may want to set some goals. Brainstorm and write down all that comes to mind that you’d like to achieve in each of these areas, if it feels applicable. Feel free to add additional categories. This is a rough draft. You’ll be shaving it down, adding more details and editing as we go.
Spiritual and Personal Growth
Health and Fitness
Family and Home
Social, Relationships
Educational
Career, Business
Financial
Now add details to make them SMART goals.
S-specific: so you know exactly what you're trying to achieve! Include: who, what, when, where, why.
M-measurable: so you know when you've achieved it! Establish criteria to measure progress.
A-action-oriented: so you can DO something about it! Chunk it down into daily or weekly actionable steps.
R-realistic: so it’s achievable. Be honest with yourself about available time and energy and plan accordingly.
T-time-Bound: has a deadline. Categorize your goals by short, medium and long-term goals for the year, maybe in quarterly increments.
Now let’s do some journaling. Time to dig deep, get real with yourself, weed through potential obstacles and fully align with your values. Answer the questions below, putting thought into each one.
Are your Goals…
Outcome focused? What specific outcome do you want?
Stated in the positive? Is it something you DO want, rather than DON’T want?
Aligned with your Values? Will this goal help you achieve more of what’s most important to you?
Something YOU truly want? Or are they something you think you SHOULD have or SHOULD be doing? Is it YOUR dream or someone else's?
How does your goal make you feel when you think about it? Does it give you a sense of deep contentment, joy, excitement or purpose?
How does it fit into your lifestyle? How much time, effort, and commitment will it take? Who else might be impacted?
Is your goal the right size? Too big? Break down into smaller goals. Too small? It should inspire you to stretch out of your comfort zone.
What is your WHY? The bigger your WHY, the more you’re willing to be uncomfortable and DO THE WORK needed to achieve your goals. (Hint: your WHY has to be bigger than you, for a meaningful or higher cause or purpose.)
Identifying Obstacles:
Can you start, maintain and see this goal through? Do you have complete control over achieving it?
How will making this change affect other aspects of your life? Are there any downsides to achieving it? (i.e.: feelings of unworthiness, what will other people think, etc.)
What's the benefit of staying where you are? How can you keep the good aspects while STILL making this change?
What might you have to give up or stop doing to achieve this? What’s the price of making this change? Are you willing to do it?
Is there something that could HELP you achieve this goal or that could GET IN THE WAY that you haven't mentioned yet?
There are Three Levels of Awareness that can create change, but only an identity shift creates lasting change. (I’ll use smoking as an example):
Intellectual awareness: Knowing that smoking cigarettes isn’t good for your health is usually not enough to motivate you to quit smoking long term.
Emotional awareness: If your smoking causes a heart attack and your kids are scared you’re going to die, it can be a powerful emotional catalyst to quit. But as soon as the emotional charge wears off it’s easy to slip back into old habits.
Identity shift/cellular level: This is literally going through a DEATH of your old identity as a smoker, and being REBORN as a non-smoker. It takes conscious practice and dedication to THINK, ACT AND BE THE NEW YOU that doesn’t smoke. (Note: If you identify as someone that “quit smoking” it leaves a door cracked open. A non-smoker has no desire to pick up a cigarette. Someone whose “quitting” might. It’s a subtle shift in mindset/identity.)
WHO will you have to BE to achieve this goal? Are you willing to fully relinquish the old identity to become a new and improved you? What will it take to do that? Think of someone that’s accomplished this goal and the characteristics and habits that helped them achieve it.
Resources: Make a list!
What resources do you already have to help you achieve your goal? (i.e.: specific things you’ll need, support from people, knowledge, skills, time, money, etc.).
What resources do you need? Get creative and strategize.
Schedule it:
Make a list of action steps you can take each day, week or month to work towards your goals.
Schedule it on your calendar for the exact times you’ll be working on it.
Constrain your time. Ex: if your goal is to write a blog post each week, block out time on your calendar the same time each week and finish it in the allotted time. Shut off all distractions, resist the urge to procrastinate and you’ll be amazed at how much you can get done in less time than you thought!
Honor your calendar: Your commitments to yourself are just as important as anything else on your calendar. You earn your own confidence when you have your own back.
Now, let’s teach your subconscious brain what it means when you’ve reached your goal! If you create the experience in your mind ahead of time, you’re more likely see it in reality.
See it: Write down at least two things that you will SEE in your life when you’ve reached your goal. This is literal, as if you’re seeing your new life from your own eyes. Ex: If your goal is weight loss, see the number on the scale that you want it to be and a closetful of clothes in your new size, etc. If your goal is a certain amount of money in your bank account by a certain date, visualize a bank statement from that date, with your name on it, with that amount of money in it. How else will your life be different when you reach your goals? Get creative and see it in full detail.
Hear it: What positive things will you HEAR people say when you achieve your goals? What will you say to yourself? Imagine conversations you’d have, maybe meeting new people or teaching others how to achieve what you did. What feels good to hear?
Feel it: How will you FEEL when you achieve this goal? Write it down. (i.e.: grateful, excited, confident, empowered, etc.) Have you felt that feeling before? GET INTO THAT FEELING NOW!
Create it: Make it happen in your mind ahead of time! Focus on the end results. Close your eyes and visualize as much detail as possible about what your life will be like when you reach your goal. Feel the feelings, hear the sounds, smell the scents, see it in vivid color and detail. What sensations do you feel in your body? What does it feel like when you touch it? What is the texture, shape, size, temperature? This should be a holographic experience as if it’s happening now.
Let go of attachments: Be in a state of GRATITUDE. Know that it’s already done, just like ordering something that’s on it’s way, but also know that your happiness is not dependent on it. Happiness always comes from within, never from the outer world. The happier we are, the more we’re in the flow of life and things naturally fall into place. Don’t worry about or doubt your goals, and don’t want it so bad that you inadvertently push it away. If you come from a place of wanting, needing, or doubting, the Universe will give you MORE reasons to want, need or doubt. When we’re in a state of GRATITUDE, experiences will show up that give us more reasons to be grateful. The Universe always gives us the perfect energetic match to the frequency we’re putting out, so get clear and intentional about what vibes you’re creating.
It might sound counterintuitive to be neutral and unattached to outcomes. But the Universe/God knows what’s better for us than we do. It’s about enjoying the journey and what we learn along the way. If you’re consistent and follow through with these steps listed, you can’t lose. Your life WILL be transformed and you WILL learn and grow so much, regardless of it showing up the way you think it should. Trust in the process.
Accountability: A trusted friend, partner or coach that can give you support and accountability can be invaluable. I believe everyone needs a good accountability partner or coach if you want to take your personal growth and well-being to the next level. Even the best coaches have good coaches.
Goals are there to INSPIRE YOU!!! If you get off track, don’t beat yourself up!! Reevaluate, refocus, readjust and recommit as necessary and keep going!! Be the willow, not the oak. Don’t fight the wind or the currents, be in the flow. You got this!!
Need support? As a coach, my program is tailored to your individual needs and is designed around supporting you to reach your goals. Schedule a free consultation today.
