In my post at the beginning of the week I took a look back at 2017 and set myself some goals for the coming year. I’m hoping to achieve these goals and also add to my list as the year progress. I find that setting myself targets helps to keep me on track to achieving what I want, whether its fitness goals or blogging goals. I know that since it’s the start of a new year many of you will be setting your own goals and resolutions too; and I thought as everyone is in the same boat I would share some ways in which you can try to achieve your goals this year.
It’s easy to say something like “I’ll try to save more money” or “I’ll eat healthily this year” but without having a set goal in mind it can be difficult to keep yourself focused. Studies have shown that the clearer you are about your goals and what you want to achieve the more likely you are to make it a reality. So rather than say you will save money set a target amount like “I will save £2000” to help keep you on track.
When setting goals it’s important to be realistic about what you can achieve. This is usually the point where I fail if I’m honest; I have a terrible tendency to try to do way too much in a small time frame. This year I’ve set some larger goals to achieve by the end of the year and will make smaller ones to finish by the end of each month. I think that this should make completing my goals much easier.
I think this is one of the most important parts of trying to achieve the goals that you set. By tracking your goals it will help keep you motivated as you will see yourself progress. It also means that you can re-evaluate your goals further down the line and change them if need be. For example maybe you’re in a position to save a little more each month or perhaps some unexpected bills mean you have to change your original saving goal slightly.
I find that sharing your goals is a great way to keep yourself motivated, whether that’s sharing your goals with friends and family or posting them online. There is even research to suggest that sharing your goals with others can be beneficial as you want to prove to them that you can achieve what you set out to do. I shared some of the goals I hope to achieve in 2018 at the start of the week.
Everyone has off days and that’s alright but it’s better to make a little effort towards your goals that none at all. Whether it’s doing a shorter workout at the gym or only managing to write two of three blog posts you’d planned. Whatever it is it’s important to remember than one small short-term slip up is unlikely to have a major impact on your long-term goals.
Have you set yourself any goals this year? What tips do you have for achieving your goals?