Written by: Amanda Levison, M.S., LMHC, LPC, CCBT
Well-known business tycoons, successful athletic individuals, and all achievers in life do one thing in common; they all set goals for themselves, their businesses, and the things they wish to achieve in life. Goal setting allows us to have both long-term vision and short-term motivation. It concentrates knowledge acquisition, and will enable you to become organized and focused with your time and resources so that you can make the most of your valuable efforts. By setting well-defined, distinct goals that are measurable, you can see your accomplishments and take pride in work done, not progress, and know the value of forward motion. Self- awareness, self-confidence, and self-worth are all increased, and one can further recognize increased abilities. Goal setting is an essential piece in becoming more successful in all areas of your life. What goals do you plan on setting and accomplishing that you promised yourself you would focus on this year? Remember, it’s never too late to obtain the goals you set forth for yourself.
What steps can you take to set your goals and stay on track?
Start by writing down the big goal. Where you want to be and what the big picture is.
After writing down the big goal, start thinking about smaller steps you can take to get there. Write down these more modest goals.
Make a timeline of when you expect to achieve the goal. Mark a specific date you want to achieve the big goal.
Set a timeline for the smaller goals as well. This will help to make sure that progress is being made regularly.
Think of what behavior changes can help make daily strides towards the goal and make that change.
Hold yourself accountable, or ask a trusted person to hold you accountable for your timeline and behaviors getting you to your goal.
Make sure goals are achievable. Setting goals that are not attainable, whether that is financially, emotionally, et cetera, will set you up for failure and disappointment.
Making goals requires organization and time management. Getting a planner can help to stay on track by writing down and carving out time to dedicate to goal achievement.
Track your progress. Writing down what you achieved can help decide what the next step should be. Having a planner can make this step easier.
Do not lose sight of the primary goal. Reaching the smaller goals might end up being challenging or time-consuming. Do not let this be discouraging; try to go back to where you wrote down your big goal to remind yourself why you are doing what you are doing. It is hard to get caught up in the current of everyday life, but this cannot be an excuse not to be reaching goals.
Reaching those smaller goals will motivate you to keep making strides towards the big picture. Each step is just as important as the last, and it is not for nothing. It is essential to celebrate the small victories to stay motivated. Without having dreams and goals, no one would achieve anything in life. It is those who reach these goals that make the most significant changes in the world.
If you are still feeling unmotivated or discouraged on your journey and feeling like you’re stuck where you are right now, talking to a therapist can be helpful. Our Harrisburg PA therapist can help you find out where you want to go in life so that you’ll have a goal, rather than going day-to-day, and feeling what you’re doing isn’t getting you anywhere. Call us at 717-202-2510 or contact us at https://www.neuroandcounselingcenter.com/contact-us.
