ARE YOU ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS?

The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that can, so easily, lead you astray.

Make Your Goals SPECIFIC

Ambiguous or undefined goals aren't going to provide you with the direction you need to succeed. You want to give yourself a concrete goal so you know exactly what you're working toward. You know your goal is specific if it answers these questions:

·         WHO: Who will be involved in helping you reach your goal (including yourself)?

·         WHAT: What exact goal do you want to accomplish? Be very specific. Rather than "lose weight" or "get fit," define those terms: "I will lose 10kg," or "I will be able to run a 5K."

·         WHEN: When will you start and when will you reach your goals

·         HOW: How will you make this happen? These are the action steps to get you toward your goal. If you want to lose 10kg in 3 months, your "how's" might look something like: I will exercise for 30 minutes 5 days per week; I will track my food and calories consumed each day; and I will pack my lunch at least 3 days of the week.

Make your goals  MEASURABLE

Now that you have outlined your goals, how you will keep a track of your progress. After all, if you don't have any way to measure your goal, how will you know when you've reached it? Your goal is measurable if you can find a way to quantify your success using real numbers. Some examples of measurable goals might be number of kg's lost, a positive change in blood test i.e, cholesterol, or the number of minutes or Km's you've run or spent time exercising.

Make your goals ATTAINABLE

It's good to think big. A goal that's attainable for you is one that you believe you can reach and have the means necessary in order to achieve. 

To determine whether your goal is attainable, ask yourself honestly if you believe you can achieve it and have all the resources (including time) available to make it happen.  Do you have (or will you be able to obtain) all the support, equipment, knowledge and resources needed to put your goals into action? Does this goal fall in line with your other priorities in life? If not, how can you revise your goal to make it more realistic?

Make your goals RELEVANT

Choose goals that are personal to you. Don't choose a goal out of guilt, or just because someone else thinks it's something you "should" do. By choosing your own goals and really making them yours, you'll set yourself up for success.

What's your why? To determine if your goal is relevant, ask yourself this question. Your 'why' will help you to achieve it. So you can feel more confident? Be a good example to your kids? Or live a longer, healthier life? These whys are important because they will serve as your motivation throughout the process.

Make your goals TIMELY

If you don't put a deadline on your goal, it will be difficult to know how to pace yourself to reach it. Every goal should have a date, which will help you stay on track. In addition, set up a few benchmarks, or "mini-deadlines" to keep you on track to reaching your big-picture goal and keep yourself accountable.

Jim Rohn quotes: “If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way.  If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse”

As you start achieving your goals and experiencing those victories, celebrate them. Be happy and grateful for your successes. Then, set more goals.  Remember, it’s fun.  You design your own life.  

So get started today…  Write a list of short, medium, and long term goals. Be happy and grateful for having already achieved them.Remember, thoughts become things!Get excited about taking positive steps toward your goals. And most importantly…  celebrate your victories!  

Have some fun with this.

Debbie 

CreateSuccess4life