I love having goals and aspirations to work towards and look forward to. We all have things that we want to do and achieve in our lives, but the biggest roadblock for most is having an actionable plan to make it happen. Goals are great as they give us all a personal sense of purpose or meaning which leads to higher levels of happiness when meeting and exceeding goals.

When most people think of goals or resolutions, they automatically think of New Years. While setting yearly goals is great, breaking goals down into smaller periods sets most people up for more success. These smaller periods allow most people to think about the process in a more systematic way; as in how they are going to achieve their goals. I love setting seasonal goals as I always feel a burst of energy and renewal of motivation during the change of seasons anyways.

 Below are 8 ways to help you set, achieve and exceed your goals and aspirations:

1. Decide on Your Goals

Sit down and really think about what it is that you want to do. Set goals that are tailored to you. Just because everyone else is setting a goal, it doesn’t mean that it is perfect for you. Your goals should reflect YOUR role in life, be something that would make you happy and feel successful. When thinking about goals, I like to think about all different areas in my life, such as health, family, business, financial, personable development, social and spiritual.

2. Set Realistic Goals

Many of us would love to be ultra-marathoners, rich and famous, but it’s not going to happen overnight. I’m not saying or insinuating that you can’t start from the bottom and work yourself up to the top, but that takes time, effort, sweat and usually a few tears along the way. Setting yourself up with unrealistic goals will only lead to feelings of failure, frustration and stress.

Instead start small when setting your initial goals, work towards your larger goals. I suggest that when creating your goals, that you set goals with different levels in mind. Always keep the end game in sight, but set some smaller goals along the way.

Example: Let’s say you are a couch potato but want to run a marathon. Your end game is running and rocking that marathon. Your smaller goals would be something along the lines of starting running 3 days a week or to complete a 5k. Those little goals will ultimately help you to reach your large goal in time.

3. Be Specific

The more specific you are when goal settings, the more likely you are to get and achieve your goal. As mentioned before, consider setting a few small goals that can help you to achieve a larger goal in time.

Example: If your goal is to “Be Healthier” set specifics for that goal such as eat more lean proteins, have a salad with dinner every night and fruit with breakfast, take a multivitamin, join a gym and go 3 times weekly, lose x amount of weight, etc.

4. Write It Down & Make an Action Plan

Something about writing down goals makes it more real and tangible. It’s setting an intention and really thinking about how you are going to make it happen. Write your goals down, make a vision board or something that is a constant exciting, uplifting and powerful reminder of the great things that you want to do that will make you happy.

When writing down goals, make sure to follow up with an actionable plan to achieve your goals. Write the steps to take to help you work towards achieving them, along with a timeline in which you’d like to follow (be reasonable). Be as specific as possible when making your plan.

5. Tell Someone

Telling others about your goals helps you to stay accountable. If possible, even finding friends/families that would like to work towards similar goals is a great way to give extra incentive to stick with it and can be a great support system.

6. Be Kind to Yourself

We all have rough days and sometimes you just don’t have the energy or motivation. Be kind to yourself and allow yourself to have a reset day now and then. If you’re feeling stuck or unmotivated, give yourself a day or two to just have a mental/physical break to get yourself back in the groove.

7. Celebrate

Celebrate your wins and the little steps along the way. You’ve worked hard towards these goals and you deserve to give yourself credit for being a rockstar! Whether it means a little social brag, new clothes, new sports gear or a spa day, treat yourself to something that makes you feel good for accomplishing your goals.

8. Constantly Revisit and Revise

I find this so important and one that people fail to address. When you’ve reached or surpassed a goal, it doesn’t mean that you need to stop. Build on that goal and go further or move onto a new one that will bring you happiness. If you’ve begun a goal and finding that your wishes for that goal have changed, allow yourself to step back and make adjustments to that goal. Maybe you set your goal too high or low…it’s ok to revise it!


 My Goals

Now that I’ve chatted a bit about how to set goals and complete rock them, I’m sharing a few of my own (that whole tell others tip as mentioned above) that I’m planning on working on. I’ve really focused on my health this year and I want to continue to improve it as the year continues.  While I’ve been eating healthier and staying active, I still have areas that I’m hoping to improve.

Start Running Once to Twice a Week

I don’t plan on going back to my 4 times a week running schedule, but I do miss the exhilarating buzz from running a few miles. I want to start back and work on a low key 3 mile run once or twice a week.

Add More Protein to My Diet

I sometimes struggle to get enough protein in my diet, especially because I’m always busy and on-the-go! I really want to work on increasing the amount of protein I consume to help me stay full long, eat less junk foods and to fuel my muscles so I can continue to grow stronger. I’ve been loving on Dannon® Oikos® Nonfat Yogurt Drinks lately!

They are a perfect on-the-go protein solution that I can take with me, taste great and they totally satisfy my sweet tooth too. With 10 grams of protein, no added sugar, 4 grams of fiber and 0% fat, Dannon Oikos Yogurt Drinks are a great snack to reach for (I really love them post-workout) that keep me moving and full until mealtime. Another bonus: they’re a great source of calcium and vitamin D! As a women, any way that I can add calcium to my diet to improve bone health is great, especially since I’m not a big milk drinker.

Save $1 on Dannon Oikos Nonfat Yogurt Drinks at your local Walmart with Ibotta! Click here to snag this deal to try them for yourself! You can find the convenient 4- packs in the dairy section. I love stocking up our refrigerator with them so I always have them for easy and nutritious snack options to drink while on-the-go.  They’re great to grab before we hit the road, to throw in my workout bag for an energy boost and perfect for a late night snack that fuels rather than fattens. 😉

Yoga Teacher Training

I’ve been mulling over taking YTT for a while and I keep finding myself gravitating towards it. I’m going to start doing more research to programs in my area and hope to complete it by mid 2018.

Do you have any goals that you are working on before the year ends?

 

 

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