As the New Year is in the early stages and new goals are being set it is important to learn how to prioritize. When making new goals in fitness or in everyday life there are some easy things that can be done in order to ensure that these goals are met. Hopefully after reading this you can get some useful information to use to reach any goal you set for yourself. Here are five easy steps that can help kick start reaching your goals in 2016 the right way.
1: Write it down
Writing down your goals down on paper, mirror, whiteboard, or anything that will be seen multiple times throughout the day is a great way to make sure that you stay on track. It is one thing to say you want to do something and think about it, but I have found that until you write it down or record it in a place that will be seen multiple times throughout the day, things can be forgotten. A great resource is the notes section that are on all smart phones. You can keep your goals on the home screen and be reminded every time you look at your phone. Once a goal is complete check it off the list and move on to the next.
You have to start. If you never start you will never finish. If you never start you will never know if you can achieve something. If you never start you are putting a limit on your own potential.
2: Make S.M.A.R.T. Goals
S.M.A.R.T. stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time. The benefit of this method of making a goals is the accountability that is involved. By adding a time aspect and by creating specific goals, it carries a sense of accountability along. Now, the important step that goes along with S.M.A.R.T. goals is honesty and being realistic with yourself. If you want to make a fitness goal to lose weight, for example, and you have no idea what would be realistic numbers or a realistic time table be sure to ask for help! There are many outlets and sources of information that can help anyone create S.M.A.R.T. goals for themselves.
3: Positive Self-talk
This step requires some personal work on your own. Be your own biggest fan. Understand that everyone is different and just because you may know someone who has achieved a certain goal in a certain time frame or certain manor does not mean it will work for you as it did for them. Be able to handle setbacks and learn to self-motivate. This is a very hard step and for some it may require some soul searching and honesty with oneself. Books are a great resource that can be used in order to help find yourself and reshape your thinking or perspective on life. I highly recommend The Traveler’s Gift, the Alchemist, and Outwitting the Devil just to name a few. The importance of this step is in the fact that if you don’t believe in yourself, or what you want to achieve, you will have no motivation to complete the task.
4: Don’t Be afraid to ask for help:
This is one I personally struggle with myself. A lot of people are very stubborn and think that they can do everything alone. The most successful people will tell you they had a lot of help along the way, whether it be from mentors or maybe just a good friend who was willing to help. Don’t be afraid to admit that you don’t know something and you need help. However, if you never ask or make it known that you want to achieve something, one thing is certain, you won’t get help! This requires a little bit of an ego check and a humbleness that leaves you open to suggestions and open to learn from those who have done what you want to achieve.
Be your own biggest fan. Understand that everyone is different and just because you may know someone who has achieved a certain goal in a certain time frame or certain manor does not mean it will work for you as it did for them.
5: Don’t Talk about it Be about it
The last step and most important step is to just do it. You have to start. If you never start you will never finish. If you never start you will never know if you can achieve something. If you never start you are putting a limit on your own potential. You have to just make the leap and go for it. Maybe this requires cutting off someone people who don’t share your goals, or setting a weekly budget for yourself, or not going to the bar that one time, etc. This step is usually the hardest because if forces you to change! And for most change causes the most fear and the can be the hardest thing to achieve.
Hopefully with these five steps progress can be made towards reaching your own personal goals. These are just suggestions and can be used as needed or can be added to an already common routine. The change in your life will start with you and it will end with you…