They say it takes 30 days to make a habit. Whether it is a good or a bad habit, consistency is the key to creating new habits of doing things. So with the new year upon us many of us are setting goals for the new year and making new positive changes. Goal setting can be a very big task if you have a lot of changes you want to make. A long list can be very daunting and overwhelming. So here is a list of ways to make goal setting easier and will help you succeed at doing them.
1.) When setting goals focus on the top five goals, ones that need your immediate attention and that are attainable. Do not put run a 26 mile marathon in three months, if you have never run before. This is an unattainable goal to meet especially in that time frame. You might instead say start running two days a week. Put in another goal to do a half marathon by the end of the year. This would be a more realistic goal and give you something to work toward.
2.) Map out a simple plan of action for each goal this way you have a blueprint of how to achieve them. So if you say lose weight, you might want to add lose weight and put down actions that will help you make this happen. Drink more water, reduce sugar by 50%, cut down on processed foods etc. This way you can start making these actions a reality and get on your way to achieving them.
3.) Write your goals down and place them in a place that you will see them daily. This will help to keep your goals in front of you and help you to work on them on a regular basis. Focusing on your goals daily will be a positive way to enforce them.
4.) Give your goals a realistic timeline so that you can accomplish them in a real time line and be successful. Make sure when you set the timeline you are focusing on a goal that is important and that you made the correct action plan for it.
5.) Set up rewards for your goals, example when I lose 10 pounds I will buy myself a new pair of jeans etc. This way you have a goal that is attainable, give yourself a good action plan and timeline goal followed by a good reward.
6. ) The final part of goal setting is to not be too hard on yourself. Bad habits do not happen overnight so changing them will not either. It take a good three to six months to really grasp positive life changes so give yourself some time and keep going. If you move backwards, adjust, make note of what you did wrong and get back up. Rome was not built in a day and it will take some time to change.
Happy goal setting!
