The beginning of the year is a pivotal time to reflect on the past year and set new goals! By examining and setting goals, you are taking a step forward to ensuring future success. However, goal setting is a very intentional process that revolves around careful thought and planning. Smart goal setting can not only help you achieve your dreams but hold you accountable and create new behaviors.
Goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, and realistic. It helps to begin with thinking about the big picture. By identifying where you would like to be in the next year, five years, and ten years, you can begin to plan smaller actionable goals to complete. Below are three pieces of advice to consider when setting goals.
- Meaningful to You- When creating your goals, it is foundational to make sure the goal is something you truly want to for yourself. This means being realistic about what you know you can and cannot accomplish in a reasonable amount of time. Goals should be meaningful and motivate you! Consider making sure that your goals make you feel like you have a sense of purpose.
- Create Habits – Goals help you make your future dreams come true to life but, goals also help create success and positive habits. By creating positive habits, you will be on the correct path to achieving your goal and creating positive, long-lasting habits. For example, a goal could be to save a certain amount of money by the end of the year. The habit that forms out of accomplishing this goal is saving money.
- Reward Yourself – While goal setting is hard work, you should reward yourself as you complete and make small strides toward your larger goal. By rewarding yourself, you are giving yourself more motivation to continue and avoiding burn out. Burn out is critical to avoid as it can make you unmotivated and less likely to achieve your goals.
Research and various studies have shown the benefits of smart and specific goal planning. Many recent studies have concluded that by writing goals down and thinking about steps to accomplish their set intentions; people are more likely to achieve their goals. Other benefits of goal setting links to overall happiness and better focus on tasks. These two added benefits are positive and can help you live a healthier life.
Believe & Inspire is committed to helping you achieve your goals through our programs. In our programs, you can learn more specifically about goal setting and other steps you can take to achieve your goals. You can find more information on our website under programs. Believe & Inspire looks forward to helping you achieve a rewarding 2021!
Believe & Inspire Team
