As we’re heading into a new year, it’s time to reflect and set goals for the upcoming months. To me, setting goals is a great way to motivate myself and help me keep moving forward. But the thing with New Year’s resolutions is that they lack intention and, in most cases – myself included -, are usually forgotten once February rolls around. To avoid that, I’m sharing how to set intentional goals that you can actually achieve.
How To Set Intentional Goals That You Can Actually Achieve
1. Take time to reflect.
Start by setting aside time to reflect on the past year and where you are right now. Think about the lessons you’ve learned so far, the things you are grateful for, and what needs to change in order to live better. Self-reflection is so important! It means you’re taking a step back to acknowledge what is going right in your life and change what’s not going so well. This will then help you set better goals for the New Year.
Ask yourself these three questions:
- What brought you joy last year?
- What lessons did you learn?
- What did you accomplish?
2. How do you want to feel?
Most of us set goals with the mentality of “something’s wrong and I must change it”. You want to lose weight, so you set the goal of going to the gym daily. Been there, done that. Instead, ask yourself this question: How do you want to feel? Maybe you want to feel healthier. Maybe you want to feel at peace with who you are or proud of your work.
One of the reasons why we don’t reach our goals is because they’re not aligned with who we are, how we want to feel or with the life you truly want to live. Do you really see yourself going to the gym daily? You don’t have to do it just because people you look up to do it. To you, feeling healthy might be practicing yoga twice a week, going on morning walks or eating more veggies.
After you decide how you want to feel, build intentional goals from there.
3. Decide exactly what you want.
A few months ago I discovered the very inspiring Marie Forleo and this amazing audio training on how to get anything you want. Her most important tip on how to set intentional goals is to decide exactly what you want. Be clear and specific about what you want to achieve. Then, write the reason why this goal matters to you. When you know exactly what you want and why it matters to you, you will be able to overcome the barriers that might get in the way. If you can’t find a good why, it probably means that you don’t really want it or maybe it’s an old dream that doesn’t resonate with you anymore.
Plus, remember that your goals don’t have to be life-altering, just things you want to achieve – no matter how big or small. And don’t try dabbling too many different goals at the same time. Keep it simple and laser-focus.
4. Write your goals down.
According to research, you’re more likely to achieve your goals by writing them down. Whether you write them on paper or type them out on your laptop, this will make your goals feel more real and help you stay accountable.
5. Make your goals achievable.
When setting goals, don’t forget to be realistic with yourself. While it’s great to challenge yourself, it’s important to keep your goals realistic and within reach otherwise, you might end up feeling disappointed.
6. Eliminate excuses.
Another Marie Forleo tip.
If you’re anything like me, another reason why you don’t reach your goals is because you sabotage yourself. You come up with one hundred excuses why it won’t work and don’t even try. The truth is, you just want to avoid failure. But, when we see the excuses for what they truly are, they lose their power. They are not the reality, they’re just excuses you made up in your head.
Make a list of the excuses you might use to sabotage yourself. Then, write two things about each: why that excuse is bullshit & how you plan to eliminate it.
7. Create an action plan for each goal.
To make any goal a reality, we must take consistent action. Step after step after step. But sometimes we might not know what those steps are. You might want to start a business but have no idea how to do it. But don’t let not knowing what those steps are holding you back. As Marie Forleo says, everything is figureoutable.
After setting your goals, create an action plan for each. Start by listing 10 to 20 (it really depends on the complexity of your goal) different ways you can achieve that goal, the steps you need to take in order to accomplish it. Write anything that comes to mind. That will help you get there.
7 tips on how to set intentional goals that you can actually achieve in 2018! Click To Tweet
Have faith in yourself. While trying to make your dreams a reality, you’ll have to be brave enough to keep going without proof that things will work out in the end. That’s why it’s so important to know the why behind each one of your goals. That will give you the motivation to keep moving forward despite any doubt or barriers that might get in the way. Believe in yourself and have faith that it is possible.
Another thing to consider is to keep an open mind. Be flexible and willing to adjust your goals. Life changes and the goals you set at the beginning of the year may not resonate with you once September rolls around. Be open to accepting that. It might lead to better things.
Goal Setting Workbook
Action time! Now that you’ve read all about intentional goal setting, it’s time to take action and start planning for the new year. To guide you through the process, I created the Goal Setting Workbook with all the steps you need to take in order to set and achieve your goals in the new year. You can either fill in the PDF online or print it – my personal favorite! Click here or on the image above to grab yours!
You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be actually something
that I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and
very broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
It is so easy to set goals that deep inside we know that aren’t achievable and then at the end of the year, disappointment hits us. Easier to stay true to yourself and set simple, achievable goals to work on this new year.
The Lisa’s World
Couldn’t agree more!! I should know better considering the previous years. x