The new year’s excitement is here! This is the perfect time to evaluate your life and set goals for yourself. We usually do this in a form of resolutions at the beginning of the year and sometimes struggle with keeping up. Trust me, we all have been there. The majority of the time we have the best intentions to commit to our goals, but then it seems like something will always get us distracted. The reason is we aren’t following the necessary steps to set ourselves up for goal-crushing success!
But what if I can share with you 6 simple steps to achieve your goals without struggling so much? And better yet, what if I told you that you can use them anytime and start anytime? Yes, there is absolutely a formula involved when it comes to successful goal setting and achieving. Join me as we dive into ways we can crush our goals and stick to them.
1 Determine realistic goals
Even though it is important to dream big and reach for the stars, setting realistic goals is key to ensure that you’re able to accomplish them. If you are not a realist and purpose-driven you will find yourself becoming very discouraged if you set huge, lofty goals that you’re never able to reach. With that being said, give yourself time to accomplish the goals you set and align yourself with resources that will help you complete your goals one step at a time. For example, if your goal this year is to become a professional photographer and book clients within a month, let’s recognize that it’s an unrealistic goal if you have never picked up a professional camera or taken a course to gain some skills. The best approach is to do the research, find which camera is beginner-friendly, buy a few courses or find someone who could coach you, then within a couple of months and a few shoots under your belt you would be ready to charge clients for your work.
2 Break your goals into smaller, actionable steps
The second step after determining your goals would be breaking your big goals down into smaller, actionable steps that help you to figure out exactly what you need to do to achieve those goals. By doing this it will give room for better organizations with the task at hand and you won’t feel overwhelmed. Let’s go back to the idea that you want to become a professional photographer, find actionable steps that will help you reach your goal.
Here are some actionable goals that would help you become a professional photographer. The first actionable step would be doing your research on the photography industry. Weigh the pros and cons of this industry. Also, figure out what type of photographer you want to become; there are many niches in that industry, find which style aligns with you.
The second would be buying the proper tools, courses, and programs to gain knowledge of this industry. The third would be either partnering up with a mentor who can take you to their shoots, help you practice and slowly gain your confidence and experience. Finally, the last step could be getting behind the camera and start taking photos! While this is purely an example, segmenting bigger goals into smaller and more manageable sub-goals can help you to build your self-confidence and keep you motivated through the process. This way, you can focus on each actionable step involved in reaching your overall goal and can celebrate completing those actions steps along the way.
3 Keep your goals in plain sight
I am a big believer that physical visual percentages will keep you focused on the tasks at hand. Keeping your goal physically front and centre helps you ensure you don’t forget them. To be quite honest life happens and we all get busy, but having them displayed in front of you may make a world of difference. I would suggest that you display your goal planning worksheet, vision board or planner somewhere that you are forced to look at it every day – multiple times a day would be even better. Perhaps you can tape it to your fridge or on the wall behind your desk so that you are constantly being reminded of your goals. Or if you have a planner that you use to track your daily tasks, that might be a good place to keep it too.
4 Be kind and patient with yourself
Although it is important to follow through with the goals you’ve set for yourself, sometimes life happens and you may have to adjust your goals time frame. Be kind to yourself and allow certain hiccups in life to occur. Just as long as those hiccups don’t make you give up on your goals. If you need a break to regroup, do that. It is not a race but a steady marathon. We understand things can happen like losing your job, family stressors or even health challenges that might make you unable to complete your goal. Don’t beat yourself up over not being able to accomplish your goal in the same way that you originally wanted to. Be flexible and know that sometimes our goals have to change in the same way that our lives do. Roll with those punches and don’t let unexpected bumps along the way discourage you; sometimes it just takes a little longer to reach those goals we set, or we have to go about achieving them differently. And that’s okay! Being flexible allows us to see the bigger picture and not give up on our goals entirely.
5 Find an accountability partner
This may be one of the most fundamental steps to have in your journey of completing your goal, When you share your goal with a trusted partner, a friend or a loved one they will check in with your progress regularly and give you that push you need to succeed. I would suggest finding someone who has a similar goal as you (it doesn’t have to be the same goal though) and holding each other accountable to reach those goals. Set up daily, weekly, or monthly check-ins with each other to go over your progress with your action steps and use each other as sounding boards for what is and isn’t working along the way. Going back to the photography example if you know someone who wants to become a photographer maybe take the same course, keep each other motivated and sharpen each other skills by practicing together.
6 Pat yourself on the back & reward yourself
A lot of the time we don’t give ourselves credit for small achievements that we either completed or mastered. Each milestone should be celebrated, and not just when you reach your end goal. Celebrating your accomplishments, big or small, serves as a reminder of our progression with our goals. These celebrated milestones are good reminders and motivations on days where you are struggling and want to give up. Rewarding yourself can be a simple as treating yourself to a new pair of earrings, a new book or a new pair of Rich Flower Lashes LOL. Whatever self-care is for you, celebrate with that. Just make sure to reward yourself for all the hard work you have put in. You deserve it!
Setting goals doesn’t have to be a daunting experience, where you should feel frustrated and overwhelmed. Take small steps and be kind to yourself. All things will fall into place when something is meant for you. I hope these simple steps help you make your goals into reality.
What is one New Year’s Resolution that you want to accomplish this year? Let me know in the comments below. Let’s Make 2021 a success!
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