When was the last time you sat down and thought about your goals? For some of us, that may be daily and for others it may be hard to remember. If you are one of those who plans daily, weekly, monthly, and annual goals, then I applaud you. Not all of us are so organized or feel so motivated. If you are an entrepreneur you have to be sure that all your ducks are in a row. Otherwise, you may feel overwhelmed or start to veer off track.
Goal planning is not meant to be stressful. And it is not meant to make you feel like a failure. The key is to set measurable, realistically attainable goals. How do you do that?
- Be specific. Instead of setting lofty long-term goals, make smaller step goals that
lead to the big finale. For example, if your annual goal is to organize your finances, have a weekly goal: “Track spending and donations” and a monthly goal: “Create monthly budget sheet”. - Create deadlines. We have to be honest with ourselves, it is not easy to follow deadlines when they are self set. With no one looking over our shoulder, we tend to push deadlines further and further back. No longer. Give yourself a deadline. And. Stick. With. It.
- Write it down. When we put these goals to paper, they become more solid. Use your planner, notebook, or calendar and put those goals down in ink!
- Remember personal goals. Goal setting isn’t only for professional aspirations. Track your personal goals, as well. Life is about balance. So, your personal goals are just as important! Write down that three month goal to run a 5k or maybe to finish a book.
- Get motivated. Once you start setting and meeting your goals, you are going to feel amazing. Soak it in and feel the motivation! Keep it going as you get closer and closer to where you want to be in life.
This doesn’t mean you have to create a 5 year plan or a 10 year plan. As we said before, this is not meant to add stress to your life, but to relieve it! If monthly or annual goals seem to long-term, stick to daily. Sometimes that is the best we can do and that is okay! Just get through each day and slowly, but surely time passes. With all this work, you are going to create new habits for yourself. Ones that are productive and make you feel good! As they say, 21 days to make a habit and 90 days to create a lifestyle. Keep pushing, keep moving forward, and keep planning your dreams!