This ones for all my clients, past, present, and future, and for anyone else who might need a little direction. Let’s have a little chat about goal setting. Maybe you have never set a goal before, or maybe you fear setting goals because you never follow through. Maybe you are a goal setting champion slaying goals left and right. Wherever you are at with goal setting, I can assure you that you create the trajectory of your own success. Goal setting starts with you, and it means that you have nothing to prove to anyone but yourself.
Goal setting does not have to be cheesy. You don’t have to do it because it is trendy or because it is just what everybody does around this time of year. Goal setting is something you can do on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly basis. It is nothing new and you don’t have to jump on the New Year trend if you don’t want to. Just consider this: how proud would you make yourself if you were able to cross off all of your desires in the next year?
Setting goals is so powerful. When it comes to intentional goal setting, first things first, you have to write it down. Everywhere. Write it in multiple places. Repetition is key. In the year 2020, I had five big goals, and I wrote them down in a journal every day as a reminder for what I was striving toward. Guess how many came to fruition? All 5 of them. So write your goals down. Do it for yourself so that you can see it every day. It serves as a reminder for what you are working toward. Write them on a list, in a journal, on a sticky note, on your mirror, put them on a vision board – whatever you do, get your goals in writing and see what becomes your reality.
Next step, share it. When you share your goals with someone else, you are more likely to achieve them. Do you believe that? Telling someone else creates space for accountability. It creates space for you to show up for yourself and let someone else be there to cheer you on. Sharing your goals makes them reality. Sure, you could keep it to yourself, and then you will only let yourself down if you don’t follow through. This year, go out on a limb and try something new. Tell someone close to you what you hope to achieve and watch as it happens in the next 365 days. Even if you just tell God, He will guide you. Sharing is caring and He cares about your goals just as much as you do if not more.
So you have written down a few potential goals and maybe shared them with someone close to you. What’s next? Evaluate your goals. Make sure that your goals have purpose and don’t limit yourself to just one. Have a financial goal? Great! Have a physical goal? Awesome. What about emotional, spiritual, occupational, educational? What about relationship goals? Yes, it is okay to have many goals! You can have goals in every category of your life. When trying to decide, ask yourself this: what goals do you need to strive for this year in order to be a better version of yourself? Do your goals challenge you? Your goals pave the way to a better you. It is okay to set the bar high with more than one goal. You can absolutely achieve all of your goals. Just don’t forget to consider this: are your goals realistic?
Realistic goals are key. Something that you can achieve within a certain time frame, be it one month, a few or even the whole year, but don’t put something on your list that will only discourage you if you didn’t hit it within the standard that you set for yourself. Realistic goals need to be timely and considerate of your circumstances. You know yourself better than anyone, so when you are setting your goals, really put your mind to it. Consider what is going to challenge you and propel you forward. What goal is going to make your future self proud? What goal can you create that will get you from point A to point B? In the next year of your life, how do you want to live each day? How do your goals align with that?
This might feel like it is a lot to consider, but goal setting does not have to be complicated. It is worth considering all areas of your life to make sure that you cultivate the life you want to live. Something else to consider is motivation versus discipline. Your goals might start off strong and have such good intentions. The New Year energy leaves you buzzing with excitement and ready to commit to a new you. New Year energy fades and motivation won’t always be there. So when considering your goals, ask yourself if your motivation goes away, what will it look like to rely on discipline to achieve this goal? Are you deeply committed to getting that goal? Motivation can only get you so far, and it is a great place to start, so if something really motivates you as a goal, write it down and chase that goal! But also be prepared to put your discipline in practice when you feel yourself slipping on making progress toward your goal.
One final note on goal setting, pray about your goals. Talk to God. Ask Him what His goals are for you this year. Share the goals that you have with Him. Believe that He will help you see them through. Be bold and be open. Tune yourself to hear His voice and your goals will become your reality. Prayer is powerful and it should be the first resource that you turn to, not the last. Be in constant communication with God about your goals, dreams and desires. And do not give up if your prayer is not answered right away. Keep praying. Keep showing up. Keep being disciplined and striving to achieve your goals. Goal setting is powerful and you deserve to slay whatever goals you have this year.