The Secret Ingredients to Achieving Your Goals
It’s the beginning of the year, so let’s talk about goals.
When considering your goals, we’ll discuss important factors in meeting those goals that many people neglect thinking about:
Potential obstacles
Commitment level
Daily goals
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Potential obstacles
One obvious detriment to goal achievement are obstacles that pop up in the process. They may drain your motivation or act as the last straw, pushing you to give up on the goal. For example:
Goal: Lose 20 pounds this year
Obstacle: An injury 2 months into the year forces you to change your exercise routine
An injury can be pretty life changing, but other obstacles may be as simple as having to work late more than anticipated, blunting motivation to cook healthy meals after work.
Whatever the obstacle(s) turns out to be, it’s important to have a plan for when things get difficult. Chances are, reality will hit you with obstacles you don’t expect in reaching your goal.
If you imagine obstacles as hurdles, then planning for them ahead of time will lower the height of the hurdles, making them easier to overcome. You know yourself best, what’s your kryptonite?
Ask yourself these questions:
What has interfered with my goal achievement in the past?
Can I anticipate, right now, what might stand in my way in the future?
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Commitment Level
Think, “how committed am I to doing what it takes to reach my goal?”
Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10:
1 = I don’t care at all | 10 = I want it more than anything else
No one else needs to know the answer; be completely honest with your answer.
Got your number in mind? Write down a few sentences explaining why this is your number. Then, answer this next question,
“What am I willing to give up to reach this goal?”
With a commitment level of 9, for example, you should expect to give up some sugary food in order to reach your goal of losing weight.
It may be easy for the first few weeks or months adjusting to a new lifestyle of eating less sugar; you have a fire under your butt wanting to reach your goal.
A few months in, this fire starts to fade. Over time, you lose the motivation and/or willpower to tolerate the sacrifices necessary to meet your goal.
This is where your commitment level number comes in.
Look back at the number, and explanation, of your commitment level when you set your goal. Put yourself back in this motivated headspace when you set your goal, with the understanding of what you have to sacrifice to be successful.
2 for 1: is one of your potential obstacles burnout and loss of motivation? Taking some time to describe your commitment level will lower the height of that hurdle if it comes up.
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Daily Goals
Perhaps the most important ingredient to your goal setting recipe - what should you do every day to inch closer to meeting your goal?
Maybe your daily goal keeps you on track and in the right direction (substituting an unhealthy snack for a healthy one), or it takes you one step closer to being finished (writing a page for your new book).
Whatever your goal is, there is something you can do every day to facilitate success in meeting your goal.
What actionable daily goal(s) can you set for yourself?
Focus on doing these every day. Goals become much more manageable when broken down into mini daily goals as opposed to the nebulous, daunting task of a year-long goal.
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Summary
Think ahead and plan for potential obstacles. By doing so, you’ll increase your resiliency throughout your journey through effective preparation.
Gauge your commitment level. Increase your future self’s motivation and willpower by writing down why you are committed to your goal right now so you have the ability to time travel back into this headspace when you need it.
What are your daily goals? This is like focusing on the process, not the outcome. Focusing on the process (daily goals) will help you reach your overarching goal (outcome) more effectively.
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