The first quarter of the year is almost over – a few more days and it’s on to Q2. I’m sure we’ve all made goals that are “NOT new year’s resolutions” at the beginning of the year. I know that you also promised yourself that you won’t be making those, just goals and guidelines to how you want the rest of your year to go.
But time goes by so quickly. Just one supermoon and one mercury retrograde ago, it was the beginning of the year. Now, a quarter has gone by. It’s time we re-evaluate where we are with the goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year.
How close are you to checking off, or even starting on your personal goals? Maybe some of you made quick work out of them. Maybe some of you have crossed off a few and have added more. Maybe some of you have yet to start. Here’s a guideline for your guidelines, to help you accomplish those big dreams.
Make it SMARTER:
You all know that SMART goals mean:
● S – specific
● M – measurable
● A – achievable
● R – relevant
● T – time bound
Let’s just add:
● E – evaluative
● R – revisable
Evaluative means you can consider and reconsider your goals. Revisable means they are flexible enough to re-strategize but firm enough to hold you to them.
Write them down:
Remember those beautiful notebooks you got from the brick and mortar bookshop? Use them! We retain more information if we write them down. Also, it gives me great satisfaction to cross things off of lists. Imagine if it were a bg goal you crossed off your list, how happy would you be?
Break it down:
I can’t stress this enough. Break your goals down into more manageable steps and concrete action plans. Otherwise, if you assign a goal as vague as…lose weight – then you’re done if you lose a pound and won’t try anymore. So maybe you can say, my goals is to lose 10 lbs. Then you go on to break it down into “lose a pound per week”. From there you can create a plan of action per week to help you lose that 1 pound.
Hold yourself accountable:
Some people like to broadcast their plans so that other people can check in with them and help get them back on track. For example, you can get a workout buddy. Some people work on their goals silently and surprise others with results. Whichever side of the track you’re on – have a mechanism for holding yourself accountable.
Develop systems, habits, and strategies:
I am an advocate of using technology to make goal setting and goal achieving easier. Use trackers, productivity apps, calendars, notepads, or any system that will make it easier for you to reach your goals.
Reward yourself:
Have cake. Eat it too. Celebrate your wins!
Got any tips for us on reaching your goals? Hare them with us in the comments. Stay humble and hustle hard.
Written by Jaie O. The Help