This post contains affiliate links, read my disclosure policy here.
So you have some goals.
Some are pretty big. And others are little things you’ve been meaning to do since forever but still haven’t managed to implement in your life.
But you’re ready for some things to change and for your goals to finally happen. But HOW?
What does it really take to accomplish your goals? Let’s go over some habits of goal achievers. But first, let’s go over some important things about goals.
Why Goals are Important
They give you Focus
First of all, they give you a clear focus. If you didn’t have goals, how would you know what you need to work towards?
They allow you to measure progress
Next, setting goals allows you to measure progress. You can see the pathway and what it will take to get there. You can also create smaller goals that add up to your “big” goal to make it easier to measure your progress along the way.
They give you a Destination
Finally, goals give you a destination. They allow you to create a map from where you are now to where you want to be.
Why goals fail
So why do some goals work and some don’t?
Well, there are a few reasons we can discuss today.
- Not specific. Vague goals don’t work. For example “Lose weight” would be way too vague. Instead, we could try “Lose 10 pounds.” That’s a lot more specific and therefore, attainable.
- Not measurable. Going back to our example, “Lose weight” is not measurable specifically but losing 10 pounds is.
- No deadline. Finishing up our example, to make our “Lose 10 pounds” goal even better we can add a deadline: “Lose 10 pounds by June 30th.”
- Unrealistic. Stretch goals are a good thing but make sure they’re not delusional! There’s a definite difference between the two.
How can goals make you successful
Goals give you a timeline: First of all, as long as you include a deadline, they give you a timeline to work with. This helps create your path to success.
Goals keep you moving forward and/or not stagnant: Goals create motivation and momentum as we work towards something we’re excited to accomplish.
Goals are a way to make your dreams and vision a reality: Goals are the “How” behind your dreams and vision of the life you want to live.
Positive Mindset and Abundance Thinking
Most of the productivity battle to achieve your goals has to do with mindset. Let’s go over a few ways to keep your thoughts positive so they will serve you well as you work towards your goals.
Abundance thinking
You may have heard of abundance thinking. I used to think it was some “woo-woo” method, but Michael Hyatt changed my mind in his book Your Best Year Ever.
Make setbacks a road sign
Another important thing to remember is that setbacks are going to happen. But how you react to them is what matters. In this post, I share my best tips for handling setbacks.
Time Management System
I think a time management system or structure is vital if you want to reach some big goals. These are the time management habits I’ve found most helpful in making sure my priorities get their appropriate place in my life.
Batching
I try to batch my tasks out because it saves a lot of time. Some examples would be meal prepping or, for my business, writing or images. Focusing on just one task for awhile and getting a bunch done at once keeps you from skipping around and ultimately using up more time.
Time blocking
This goes hand-in-hand with batching tasks, but setting up your schedule in blocks can help you stack on track and give some structure to your day. For example, I block out work time and family time but can take it even further and get more specific. I can block laundry time, writing time, etc.
Flexibility
Finally, I think it’s important to stay flexible to a point. Life happens and things don’t go as planned, so building in some flexibility in the form of margin time will help you stack on track.
Healthy Lifestyle Habits
Finally, taking care of YOU is so important. If you don’t do this, you’ll quickly find yourself overworked and burnt out. Follow these habits to take care of yourself a little better.
Eat well
Unfortunately, eating all the chocolate won’t help you reach your goal any faster. (Trust me, I’ve tried.) Instead, what we really make a difference is eating good, whole, nutritious foods. They give you the energy without the sugar crash.
Eating well doesn’t have to be hard, either. I share some of my simple ways to eat more real foods here.
Exercise
I know, who has time to exercise, right? At least, that’s what I’ve told myself many of times. But deep down I know that fitting in some exercise can make the rest of my life go a little smoother to the tune of more energy, less stress, and all around feeling healthier.
So even if it’s a few minutes, try to fit in some more movement to your day.
Related: Tips to find time to exercise
Get enough sleep
This one may be my favorite 🙂 I’ve always been one who needed plenty of sleep to function (like, at all.) And it is an area that I’m pretty good at keeping up with – even if I have to go to bed at the same time as my toddler to get enough rest.
Burning the midnight oil isn’t doing you any favors, my friend. So go to bed.
Wow, we have covered a lot here. But I think it’s important to dive deep into goal setting and how they can play such an important role in our lives.
Let’s quickly recap: We talked about why goals are important, why some goals fail, how they can make you successful, and they work together with mindset, time management, and healthy lifestyle choices for optimal success.
Now that you have a deep understanding of goals, it’s time to develop yours and start putting them into action.
I believe in you.
