Set goals, change your life
I have been obsessed with personal development for a long time. I have journaled since I was young and started writing goals in my teens. So how can goal setting lead to life changes?
Simple, it is the first step.
Well actually, it is the third step, but once you write your goals down, you become more likely to achieve them, according to a study by Harvard University.
So here is my 5-step guide to setting goals and why it is the foundation of self-improvement on all levels:
- Identify what you would like to change
- Believe that you can change it
- Write it
- Feel into it
- Do it
Identify what you would like to change
Setting goals can be done when your life is amazing, as well as when you wish things were better. It is the starting point in telling yourself that you want something to improve. Look at the main areas in your life which you feel could be taken to another level and write them down. Set your goals using positive language about what you want to attract, rather than what you want to stop. For example, if you want to exercise more, write your goal about the level of fitness or outcomes you desire rather than ‘I want to do more exercise’. Examples could be ‘To exercise 3 times per week’ or ‘To be able to run 5km in 40 minutes’.
Believe it
If your mind and thoughts are full of doubt regarding your ability to achieve your goals, it is probably safe to say you will not achieve them. Your mindset is your biggest saboteur when it comes to changing your life because your subconscious mind wants to keep you safe, and that means keeping you where you are. Change is scary and dangerous to our subconscious minds and unless you can 100% believe it in your conscious mind that you can and will achieve this goal, your subconscious will always win. This is where most people slip up, revert to source and give up on their goals. Changing anything requires belief that you can do it but equally, you have the power to achieve anything you set your mind to, so do not sell yourself short, go out there and set big goals.
Write it
Once you have decided your goals for the year, write them down. Write them in a journal, on post-it notes, on your fridge, in your diary or calendar, anywhere, but have them in places which remind you that they are the goals you want to achieve. You can have one goal or as many goals as you like but remind yourself of them daily and find ways each day to work towards them.
Feel into it
You need to spend time each day imagining, visualising and feeling into the emotions of you achieving those goals. Your subconscious mind does not know the difference between what is real and what is imagined, so the more that you can see images of you having the success you desire, the more you will start to believe it is possible and you will take the necessary action to make it happen. You can do this through images, screensavers, vision boards, affirmations, meditations, mindfulness, videos, photos, mood boards or your own visualisations, but the more that you really feel the emotions of you already having the goal, the more you will start seeing the results.
Do it
Without taking action, your goals have little chance of becoming reality. You need to break down what actions you will take each day or week to get closer to the goals. Giving yourself the goal of meeting your ideal partner will never happen if you sit in watching Netflix each day. The chance of someone knocking on your door and being your dream man/ woman, is extremely unlikely. Therefore, you must give yourself small steps to take. This can be small things such as talking to people, asking for help, researching, or more courageous steps such as applying for jobs, networking, attending events, joining apps or groups. Action is what makes the goals happen and you need to be consistent with the action, without giving up before you see results.
Go for it!
So, for 2024, I hope you can write some goals down and take the steps to making them happen. If you have set the same goals previously and have not managed to achieve them, there is a chance you are getting stuck at the ‘believe it’ part or the ‘do it’ part. Evaluate your efforts to this point and make an effort to change it. If you continue to do the same, you continue to get the same results. So, remember that once you have just written your goals down this year, you are already more than half-way towards achieving them.
See next week’s blog for how I go about setting goals and how to write an action plan.