Developing new goals takes some effort. Getting started is a challenge, but using the process described below, you’ll be able to get to the core of your personal goals. Identifying what you want can help you make progress in the right direction.
As you develop your goals, your plans will narrow and begin to address exactly how to take action. Try to remember that our daily habits hold the greatest influence on the rate of our progress. After all, the things we do regularly can have a great pull and influence on our health and wellbeing.
4 Important Steps to develop and attain your goals:
We all have different responses to life’s challenges, but the body usually responds to stress by increasing the pace of our breaths.
The last thing we want as we define our direction is to act out of fear. Prudent decisions should be considered from many angles, but shallow or rapid breaths can prevent us from thinking clearly. That’s why making important decisions benefits when we take a moment to pace the breath. Slowing the breath induces a relaxation response and has been shown to help the mind focus. Mindset matters when it comes to planning your future, so make it a brighter one by starting with a calm mind.
Take the time to create visions of what you would like to accomplish. Strengthen your intentions for improvement and ask yourself: What would I like to accomplish this year? What are smaller goals that I could accomplish in a few months? And what is something that I can do today to build momentum and make a positive impact in my life?
For some people, images flash before their eyes when reading these questions. Others think in terms of words. Whatever was on your mind, use it as a jumping-off point. Give yourself permission to be immersed in the ‘what ifs’ as you refine your goals.
When you are willing to write down exactly what you are after, it clarifies what direction you are taking. As you envision your future, be curious about what comes to mind. Use a journal to record your impressions about the plan you are developing. Most importantly, use this opportunity to tie together your selected goal and your personal values.
When we tie our values into goal pursuit, it adds meaning to what we are pursuing. Just thinking about these goals may feel helpful but writing it all down helps us commit.
As you are tracking your daily behaviors, pay close attention to details. Often, as humans, we find ourselves in daily routines, routines we might not realize because we do it so often without thinking or being consciously aware of our actions. Start to reflect on our day-to-day choices, and what could be modified to help you achieve your goal.
For example, if you want to achieve thirty minutes of physical activity three days a week, start to track and journal your days, where could there be time in your day to achieve your goal? Are there ways to achieve ten minutes three times a day instead? Daily habits can be adjusted, and small wins can be accomplished.
When needed, enlist support from others too. As humans, we crave social connections. Social connections and support can assist us in achieving a goal. Maybe you enjoy cooking, but you live alone, and it is too much for one person. Ask a friend to cook with you and share food together, create a sense of enjoyment around cooking and a day with a friend always helps you feel good. Enlisting support from others gives you someone to talk to about your goals and gives you other ideas or ways to help you accomplish something you never thought would be possible.
Don’t forget to be kind to yourself as you are making your list and creating your goals for the year. Remind yourself that setbacks are going to be okay. As you journal and reflect or make your daily list, stay positive and focused, even on those tough days you might have. Create the strength and resiliency to keep moving forward. Note those tough days and what helped you to move forward. Notice how you felt too and who helped you. It is important to not get discouraged on days that might be challenging. Those type of days help, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Focus on the good things that happened on those days too, because even for every challenge in a day, there are at least one or two good things that are more important to focus on.
No matter what your goals might be, feel that sense of self-empowerment and accomplishment. It is no small feat to accomplish a goal, it takes time, energy, persistence, and consistency to achieve your goals. Take the time to sit quietly and reflect on what you want to accomplish. Reflect on your accomplishments and be proud of any small wins you achieved. Those small wins add up to big goals, even if it might not seem like it at first!
As Treo’s Global Wellness Researcher, Karlie uses recent research findings to support healthier daily habits. Karlie earned her doctorate in Neuroscience and Behavior and bachelors in Health and Exercise Science.
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