Which as we covered last week can start really at any time you want. ANY TIME. Not just at the beginning of the "New Year, New Me" phase. (Seriously, does anyone else loathe that statement as much as me?! I digress...)
This time I want to share some tips that helped me to achieve the goals that I set.
Want to know the first thing to do if you want to fail at your goals?
Make them big, with no plan on how to get there.
That is honestly the first failing of a lot of goal setters. I saw it every year in the gym. That first month back is PACKED to the gills, but as the month wanes, people start to drop off. Then by March maybe a handful have stuck around.
Why?
Because they go all out for a few weeks, completely changing their schedule and focusing on this huge momentous goal. Never thinking of making small steps, and smaller goals, on the road to their bigger one.
Their goal may have been to lose 40 pounds, run a 5K, or lift to a certain amount. But without those smaller goals after some time, that bigger goal seems out of reach, and they lose momentum.
I have done this, I will be the first to admit it. Setting goals is easy, working towards them is not. We are only human after all.
So the best way to actually reach your goals are to split them up into bite sized pieces. Every time you hit one of these mini goals you celebrate. It means you're moving forward toward your larger goal, but you are also celebrating how far you have come.
If your goal is to run a 5K, I do not recommend getting on a treadmill (I live in SE WI, so I don't suggest hitting the pavement in below freezing weather) and sprinting the full 5K. I don't think many people could do that without training.
Instead of punishing yourself and falling short of your goal, try running for a set amount of time. Say 1 minute straight to start with walking periods in between. Repeat that a few times over the course of 30 minutes for example. Do that for a week. Then the next week, increase one of the minutes of running to two. And so on until you are running straight for the full 30 min. Then work on distance.
You are not only working toward your goal, but you are changing your habits as well. That is the difficult part of goals. Humans like our habits, it's in our nature. And change, even welcome, wanted change, is difficult. BUT if you can push past the discomfort and start with small changes, you will find that you can achieve even the biggest of goals in time.
Another equally important aspect to reaching your goals is finding someone to cheer you on. Everyone needs encouragement every now and then. So find your cheering section! This can be done with personal friends or family who may have the same goal as you, or someone who just wants to see you succeed and can hold you accountable to show up and work to your goal.
In the writing community there are some lovely people that can be found on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook writing groups, and the NaNoWriMo website. If you do a quick search of #amwriting on Twitter or Instagram, you will find these wonderful people. Even one writing buddy can make the difference, so reach out.
(Feel free to add me, I love cheering people on! Twitter/Insta: @MalindaWrites )
Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Our goals shouldn't be sprints either.
I like to set up both long term and short term goals. Next week I'll share a few of my goals for the New Year; long term, short term, and how I plan to get there.
Has anyone set goals for this year? Writing related? Health related? Work or personal life related? Drop a comment below, I'd love to cheer you on! :)
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