Guest Post – 3 Goal Setting Tips That Work
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you had a relaxing break and you did everything or almost everything you set out to do.
A New Year symbolizes new beginnings for many. It’s a time of change, new growth or rekindling. Whatever the situation may be with you, it’s never too late to start setting attainable goals. For many people, setting new goals in the New Year becomes a bit of a challenge. You may be gung-ho for the first three months and then suddenly your motivation drops completely. Here are three tips on how to set goals that work.
When you set goals, you need to write them down. It doesn’t work if you keep it all in your head. You have to see it and visualize it. For some people using an online software such as Evernote for their goal setting works very well, while others prefer a tangible notebook. If you’re going with the latter, I recommend you get a notebook you can personalize and look at as your goal book. You can easily use a steno pad or yellow pad of paper, but when you think about it, how motivating is that to look at?
Secondly, you have to break down your goals and be specific. It’s easy to say you want to lose weight. That’s very general so what you want to do instead is write down, for example, how many pounds you want to lose, your goal date, or how many inches you want to lose off your waist, hips, etc. Next, to lose those inches or pounds, what will you have to do? You might decide you want to eat 150 fewer calories daily and incorporate 45 minutes of brisk walking per day. Once you’re able to accomplish it easily, revisit your goal setting notebook and tweak it. Set a new goal of eating 250 fewer calories or add another exercise regimen. If you fail to do it, don’t scrap your goal completely. Go back to your starting point of 150 fewer calories.
Thirdly, you have to rid yourself of the temptations. In the above scenario, you can donate your junk food to the food bank or give them to your friends or other family members who don’t live with you. Once you throw out the “old” you can bring in the new, but that’s only the physical part of it. You have to also change the way you think. In order to start receiving good, you have to purge your mind of the negative. It’s not easy if you’re not normally a positive thinking person; it won’t happen overnight, but if you’re aware of it, it’s easier to catch it and change it.
When it comes to goal setting, you’ll experience failure before you find success, but don’t give up and don’t let it frustrate or discourage you. Keep your focus and the goal you want to reach and don’t forget to celebrate your small successes along the way.
What tips do you have for goal setting? Please share your success stories in the comments below.
Sophia McIntyre is an Internet Marketer and Ghostwriter, and founder of WorkatHomeSpace.com, a free resource focusing on work at home jobs, home businesses, ghostwriting services, money making opportunities, and more.
January 4th, 2013 at 6:24 am
Hey Sophia, nice article. And very good points about the specifics in goal setting. It’s so true, you have to keep your goals in front of you daily, that is a given. 😉
Evernote…I’ve got an account (free to set up an account), however, I’ve not used all its features. This is something I’m going to be using more this year.
With weight loss issues and also working out, it’s a good idea to incorporate a buddy system. Work out realistic goals with a buddy or friend online and be accountable.
With working out…video workouts, going to the gym, walking, or whatever type of activity, it’s always good to have a friend or family member along with you. You can talk about your goals. That always helps. For most people, solo is boring.
Enjoyed reading your article
January 6th, 2013 at 3:03 pm
Hey Tammy,
Happy New Year to you and your family!
I agree a buddy system works great with many things. It makes you accountable and you’ll also get the support and the kick-in-the-butt when needed. Another thing is some people want to see instant results and when that doesn’t happen it’s a real disappointment. I know having a healthy mind and attitude makes a huge difference. Thanks for your thoughts and reading it. 