How do you feel about goal setting? Is it something you do each year religiously or do you just muddle through and hope for the best?
And before we get into the nitty gritty of this blog post, we wanted to make sure that you know that goal setting does NOT just have to be for business or your career! It is super fun to get specific about the goals you want for your personal life too - whether that is in the next 6 months, 12 months, 5 years or 10!
When you don’t have goals to focus on it can sometimes feel like you don’t know what you are doing or where you are going. Having goals set out, whether for your personal life or for your small business, can be such a great way to then help you set out smaller, achievable tasks that you know will move you towards what you want.
What is a goal?
A goal, technically speaking, is the object of a person’s ambition - an aim or a desired result. Sitting down and thinking through what you want for your life / business and creating goals from these desires can be a serious motivator and a strategic way of actually achieving the things that, in a routine of NO goal setting, can seem forever juuuuust out of reach.
And if you’re naturally creative, why not use it as a chance to have some fun! Brain dump everything you want to achieve in the next three months to a year into yourfavourite notebook and then from that, set about creating colourful mood boards, sketches and collages to get you excited.
And don’t forget to dream big. It might not feel attainable right now, but with a clear set of actions and strategy - why can’t it be?
What are the benefits of setting goals?
Apart from giving you structure and a roadmap for the near future of your life / business, goal setting has some positive psychology benefits too.
- It helps trigger new behaviours
- Guides your focus
- Helps you sustain momentum
- Help you stay motivated
- They keep you accountable
- Help identify what is important to you
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How to set goals.
One thing to remember about goals is that we need to do it positively. Our brains need to feel good about the goals we are setting otherwise we are setting ourselves up for failure.
Write your goals in the PRESENT tense. So instead of writing “I want to achieve this goal” write it like “I have achieved this goal.”
Make it real by describing what you will be able to see, touch, measure. It’s important for us to know exactly what the end goal is so that when we have reached it, we know about it!!
It is really helpful to journal on some questions that help you go deeper into the why. For example…
- If I could be doing anything in life right now, what would it be?
- What is stopping me from doing the things I want to do? How could I change that?
- What are three short term goals I have?
- What are three long term goals I have?
- What will happen when you achieve these goals?
- What will happen if you don’t?
- Why is it worth it to push past my fears to achieve these goals?
- Where do I see myself in one year? Five years?
This gives you a rounded look at your goals, the WHY behind them and what the consequences are of either achieving them or not.
Sitting down and journaling on these questions is a really good exercise even if you just want to be a bit more clearer about your year ahead, and what better way to do this kind of work other than January?!
And if you’re in need of a new journal for all of the exciting planning and scribbling you’re going to be doing, we have just what you need.
