This time of year, it’s natural to lament about goals you seem to have lost. You probably have goals that you hoped to achieve this year, but didn’t. This time of year, it’s natural to lament about goals you seem to have lost.
Thankfully, your goals don’t have to remain mere dreams. You can take yourself from a path with unachievable goals to one with attainable targets by just changing your approach.
Once you’ve committed to believing in your abilities, you can start to put things in place to actually attain what you’ve set your mind and heart on. And this holiday season is the perfect time to set that game plan. This can even be done as a fun, family activity.
Use this step-by-step approach to make an effective plan to achieve those goals:
1. Be thankful for the year’s achievements. Even if you didn’t reach the targets you wanted, there are undoubtedly things that you did accomplish. Take a few moments to run those accomplishments through your mind and give thanks for them. Feel good about yourself. You’ve most likely achieved far more than many others!
2. Start with a master list. Instead of just dreaming about the things you’d like to achieve in the coming year, take the time to sit down and write them on a master list. Be specific about exactly what you want and how much (make it measurable).
3. Prioritize your goals. By the time you’re done writing, you’ll probably have a list of 10-15 goals. First, arrange your list in the order in which you want to achieve them and then zoom in on the top four or five.
4. Plot and set attainable targets. Now that you’ve identified the four or five most pressing goals, plot out attainable sub-targets for each of these goals and give yourself a timeline to achieve each step.
Remember that the best way to achieve mammoth goals is to break them down into smaller pieces that you know you can achieve. Now, you know it’s attainable because you’ve figured out how to achieve each step. It’s only a matter of completing each step, one by one. Once you complete your last step, you’ve achieved your big goal!
5. Plan to give yourself a small reward when you’ve successfully conquered each phase of the master plan.
6. Reaffirm your commitment. As the old year is winding down, make some time to read through your list and reaffirm your commitment to achieving these goals in the coming year.
With each goal, start by saying, "I reaffirm my commitment to …" and read the details of the goal from beginning to end. By reaffirming your commitment, you officially vow to do what is necessary to achieve the goals, which is a much better place than you were at the start of this year.
Commit, also, to actively finding solutions to overcome any challenges that may crop up. When you mentally prepare yourself ahead of time for challenges, they’re not such a shock, and you can focus on solving any constraints and continue moving forward.
Now that you’ve changed your approach, you can expect to see a much-improved outcome with each goal you’ve set for yourself. Go get ‘em!
