Setting Goals

Welcome back to my new series, 31 Days Of Purpose!  If you are just joining in, you can find all of previous challenges here!

Today’s challenge is one of my favorites!

Today you get to dream. Imagine the future you desire!  Think of everything you want!  What is deep within your heart that maybe you’ve never even allowed yourself to think about?

Today we’ll be brainstorming and setting goals (even those scary unspoken ones)!

I think it’s important when setting goals to look at your priorities and each area of your life.  In order to be balanced, we need to have goals for the different areas of our lives.

I use the following categories when I sit down to brainstorm my goals: Marriage, Parenting, Friends/Family (Relationships), Personal Development, Spiritual, Financial, Personal Growth/Self-Care, Health & Fitness, Home, & Fun.

As you are brainstorming, it’s important that your goals reflect your priorities. If your goals do not, I recommend either deleting it off your list or to consider revising your goals so they align with your priorities.

Goal setting should be exciting!  Be sure your goals are something you are excited about and give them a deadline (monthly, in 3 months, by the end of this year or 12 calendar months)! Think about how great it’ll feel to accomplish that goal!

Once you have your goals and priorities aligned, be sure to rewrite them in present tense.

Here are just a few examples: I exercise five days a week.  I run 3 miles everyday. I have $____ in my savings account.

As you write out your goals be sure to make your goals S.M.A.R.T.!  S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound goals.

Which goal on your list will be the domino that gets your other goals rolling? That is the goal you need to work on everyday (even if it’s only for 5 minutes).  II have learned that this is usually not the goal I was most excited about!

What will it take to make your goal a reality? Break those pieces down and add something to your to-do list each day.

Here are a few extra tips to get you started when you are setting goals:

• Believe in yourself.  If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will!
• If you are visual, make yourself a goals notebook or use your notes section in your planner as your notebook.  I included a few sections in mine.
  • First, I listed out my S.M.A.R.T. goals and put in the graphics that go with them such as charts and numbered lists so I can keep track of how many books I’ve read, my savings tracking, and how many items I’ve decluttered.  Then I added graphics because I’m a visual person.
  • The next section is my “Why” section.  In this section I listed all the reasons that these goals were important to me.  The reason I did this is because there will be a time in the next year I’ll lose motivation, and by reading my reasons of why I’m doing it, it helps keep me motivated.
  • The third section is for Accomplished Goals.  There’s nothing more motivating than seeing goals that you have had and were able to complete.
  • My last section is for motivational quotes and affirmations.
• When you set your goals and come to the Time-Bound component, I suggest putting each deadline on your calendar.
• If you are saving a certain amount of money each month for something, when you add money into that account make a note in color on your calendar.  That way at the end of the month you can add all of those numbers up and know exactly what you put into that account that month.
• Use Pinterest.  If you are tracking books you’ve read, create a board to help you keep track.  You can also add a board for books you want to read and then move the books over as you read them.  This also works great if you have a goal of completing __ DIY projects in a month.  (You can see how I’ve done this on my Pinterest boards.)
• Find an accountability partner who is working on a goal that is very similar to yours.  With Facebook and social media, it’s easier than ever to find people who have similar goals.  Accountability partners are great cheerleaders and will keep you on track.
• Sticky Notes are your friend!  Jot down your goals individually on sticky notes and leave them around the house where you will be reminded to do them!
• Place your list of goals somewhere that you see it a LOT.  The more you see your goals, the less likely you will forget about working on them!
• Use a smart phone app for your daily to-do’s including your goal to-do’s.  Set an alarm to keep you on track.
• Stay the course but be flexible.  Things will happen.  Don’t change the goal, change your approach when you hit obstacles.
• When you are discouraged, go back to your “why” section of your goals notebook.   If you have to do it first thing, EVERY morning, then do it.  You will thank yourself when you mark that goal off your list.

I believe in you! What is one thing that you can start working on this week to get you closer to accomplishing one of your goals?

Have you enjoyed what you read here today?  Do you have friends or other women you know that could benefit from this resource?  If so, please do me a favor!  I have included the links below to share with other intentional women!  They’ll be glad you did!