5 Steps to Stay Focused on Your Goals
You may be here because you caught my blog post from last week, and it inspired you to set some goals for 2021. If not, and you need a little convincing about why you should set goals, CLICK HERE to read it. Either way, setting goals is great, but we have all had times in the past when we set huge goals for ourselves (particularly this time of the year), and then got off course pretty quickly. Well, not this year!! Not on my watch! I am going to share with you some powerful strategies that help me stay focused on my goals all year long!
When setting your goals, they need to be personalized for you, and you need to really understand why they are important to you..
You need to have a clear link to WHY you want to achieve it. Without this link, it is highly unlikely that you will hit your goal. You want to pay off your debt, that’s awesome, but why is it important to you? What will you be able to do with your money when you don’t have debt payments, how will it help you? Will you be able to spend less time at work, and more time with your family? Will you be able to save for school to start a new career, or start a business you are passionate about? Really dig into the significance of each goal for you.
Use metrics to track your goal that align with your WHY.
If you want to get healthier, don’t default to the metrics of weight loss, because you think that is the best way to measure your progress. I am a firm believer that weight is barely a blip on the radar when it comes to improving your health. A few alternatives that can be attached to your why
Want to be able to keep up with your kiddos? Your metrics could be how you are feeling (more energy, anyone?).
Looking to feel more comfortable in your clothes? How your clothes are fitting or your measurements could be good metrics for you.
Want to be stronger and be active forever? Tracking how much weight you can lift or your running pace are a few that could help get you thinking outside the box!
I want to challenge you to think about metrics that can track your progress, that are important to you. Don’t be afraid to set goals that are outside of the ‘norm’!
Break your goals down into smaller steps and check in regularly with your progress.
Whatever metrics you choose to measure, break your goals down into monthly, or even weekly goals. Doing this gives your regular feedback how you are doing and will allow you to course correct if you get off track.
Adding a reminder to your phone to help you remember to check in can be very helpful!
Share your goals with others, post them somewhere you see them regularly or blast them all over social media, if that will help keep you motivated.
Our why’s will be different, so what will help keep us on track with our goals will be different too. I know regular check-ins with an accountability buddy and sharing on social media really help me to stay on track. Think about what will work for you and get to work on developing your plan.
This one is going to sound a little crazy, but trust me. If you are someone who will never let someone you loved or a co-worker down, but will give up easily on your commitments to yourself, this one's for you!
Link your goal progress to a reward for someone else. If your goal is to get healthy and have more energy so you can keep up with your kiddos, your reward that links back to your family could be that each time you hit a small milestone, you put money into a savings account for a family vacation. You share the goal and reward system with your family and then everyone is invested in your success. Not only do you have a motivator and reward system that means a lot to you, you also have a house full of cheerleaders that will help keep you on track.
Staying on track with your goals, really comes down to setting goals that have deep meaning for you, and finding systems and checkpoints that will help you stick to your plans long term. Build a plan that is customized to you and don’t be afraid to make adjustments as you go if something isn’t working!
Happy goal smashing in 2021!!
-Sherry
