Maybe you have a short-term goal to lose weight this quarter or a long-term goal to save up for your dream house over the next 5 years.

Whatever the case may be, you have your goals in mind – but how to achieve them?

Many people are stuck in the same cycle of setting goals, forgetting about them or failing to achieve them, and then setting the same goals again with a new solution – but how can you really set goals you will actually follow?

Continue reading to learn more about how you can set goals and get the most out of your life.

Read more about what is Goal Setting and its importance here: https://searchlifestyles.com/2022/11/06/goal-setting/

1. Focus on One Goal at A Time

Multitasking seems like a clever little thing to do to speed up your tasks and get a lot of things done in a short amount of time, especially if you have multiple goals at the same time.

When you’re multitasking, you’re actually forcing your mind to focus on different things at the same time, and this makes your brain don’t know which to focus properly. This not only reduces your efficiency and performance because your brain can only focus on one thing at a time but also increase the chance of getting burnout and overwhelmed quicker.

Get things organized and plan which goal to focus on at the moment. Complete one task before moving to the other to minimize the chance of you burning out.

2. Set Deadlines

Achieving your goals takes courage and commitment. A goal without a deadline is a goal that you have not fully ready to commit to and a goal you will not achieve.

Having a deadline for completing a goal can motivate you to get it done on time. It is a part of shaping your plan of action.

Mark your start date and deadline on your calendar, and commit to showing up for yourself. The more time spent on doing it, the more likely you are to succeed.

Use this SMART template to help you with setting a realistic deadline:

3. Make Your Goals Positive

Negative goals such as “I want to stop eating junk food” comes from a place of negativity and can lead to self-criticism and de-motivation if you failed to achieve it.

Reframe it into positive terms like “I want to feel healthy and will change my diet in order to do so”. That way, you don’t put too much pressure on yourself and set it at “I want to” instead of “I must”.

4. Find Joy in The Process

Finding joy in showing up for the work is essential throughout the whole process and shouldn’t be left for the end. Savouring how it feels to chase your goal is useful for maintaining motivation in the long term.

Before you take on a goal, visualize the process and how it makes you feel. If you feel tight and constricted, it’s probably not the right goal. If you feel curious and open, that’s the sign you’re looking for.

5. Re-evaluate and Assess Your Progress

You need to keep your motivation strong to complete your goal. If you have multiple goals on hand, the chance of you burning out and losing motivation can be high.

Consider making time for a weekly evaluation where you measure how far have you progressed and check on your schedule.

Once you see how close the finish line is, you’ll feel more motivated to push through to the end. If you’re a little behind schedule, make the necessary adjustments and keep going.

Summary

Now that you know how to set goals, it’s time to take the first step toward your goals and achieving them.

Having goals set up can help you find purpose and meaning in your life but don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Know that each step needs time, and make sure to celebrate your wins along the way.