Hi all! If you aren’t on Facebook, then you probably missed the bonus surprise I mentioned last night. Just before Christmas I was invited to write a guest post on StartUp Mindset. They are a site dedicated to posting information and inspiration for start ups and entrepreneurs. I think they do a great job and I was honored to contribute to their plethora of information for business dreamers. That article is live on their site–you can read it here–and is all about how to go about tackling big goals. {The kind that are so big you don’t know how to approach them.} Even if you aren’t a business mind, it’s a good read for anyone taking on the challenge of a big goal.
Yesterday I kicked off a series about goals–partially inspired by what I wrote for StartUp Mindset. This week I’ll be talking about all kinds of things relating to goals. In yesterday’s post {read it here} I covered five tips for setting goals and getting them done. Today I’m back with the second half–five more tips to bring us to an even 10.
Setting Goals & Getting Them Done {continued…}
Timing and deadlines
Deadlines are a tricky subject when it comes to goals. On one hand–a deadline can push us toward completion. On the other hand–a deadline can make us feel like we have failed if it comes and goes without a finished product. For some things, I’m a big fan of deadlines. For others, not so much. It all depends on the goal. Here are a few things to consider when it comes to setting up a time table or deadline for your goal:
- The broader the goal, the more dangerous it is to set a deadline. Yesterday I talked about the importance of setting concrete goals. This will help avoid vague, unmeasurable goals…but even a concrete goal can be broad. If you are setting a broad goal, try to break it in to smaller pieces. A broad goal can encounter any number of changes and setbacks…a deadline can often become a stumbling block of frustration in these circumstances.
- Be realistic. Often, I think I can do more in a certain amount of time than I actually can. Be aware of your tendencies and try to be as real, and giving, with your deadline as possible.
- Know that deadlines on physical or fitness goals are usually not a good idea. Our bodies are all unique. Deciding to lose X number of pounds in Y number of days will often be a loosing battle. There are so many factors involved in a goal involving your body–injury, illness, body type, etc–that hinging progress on a date can lead to discouragement and the abandonment of the goal. {I’ll have more on fitness goals tomorrow}
- If you want a deadline, make it something that counts. If your deadline is just a random date you picked for yourself, with nothing riding on it, it’s going to be very easy to push it off–or erase it all together. Set a deadline that means something like–registering for a 5K {something paid is better than something free}; inviting out of state guests to stay the night on a certain weekend to propel that guest room remodel; applying to be a vendor at a craft show, to boost productivity on your Etsy shop inventory.
Check in on your progress
In our culture January is a big month for setting goals. That’s great. It’s wonderful to have a time of year that reawakens us to the idea of accomplishment; a time that reminds us to reevaluate and reignites our drive.
The problem with January is that is soon turns to February, March and April. The things that we were so fired up about on January 1st soon fade into the background as the holidays end, vacations come to a close and our “regular” life resumes. As the days and weeks go by, it’s easy for our goals to get pushed aside and given up on. However, this does not have to be the case. If you really want a goal to come to fruition, start with yesterday’s tips…then make absolutely sure you check in on your progress. Schedule these check ins. This can be something you do once a month, or even just once a quarter–just do it. Don’t beat yourself up if you’ve gotten off track since the last check in. That’s what a check in is for. Assess your progress, decide if you need more frequent check ins…and move forward.
Don’t make yourself crazy
I’m speaking to myself here. Maybe I’m speaking to you too. When I start on something, I like to get it done. I love working and I’ll work myself to the bone. I’ll work until the job is done, by body gives out, or an ambulance arrives to take me away. This, friends, can make me crazy. I never know when to quit…so I don’t.
The remedy that I’ve found {but don’t always follow} is to put some parameters on work and striving. Yours will be different than mine, and different than you closest friend’s. Your parameter might need to limit the amount of time you spend working on your goal. Maybe it means turning off the computer, turning notifications off on your phone when you are out with friends, shutting the door on that project room at a certain time of day, or simply committing to eating dinner at a table and having a conversation about something that isn’t your goal. Whatever your parameters are they should:
- Help maintain balance in your life and relationships
- Keep you social, keep your relationships alive
- Propel you toward a positive mindset {an over worked mind will quickly become frustrated and negative…neither of which is conducive to accomplishment.}
Be fluid
I don’t think every goal we ever set out on is meant to be accomplished. If we were, I would have gone to school on a shot-putting scholarship. Sometimes the path we take toward a certain goal can lead us to something better, more fulfilling. That whole shot-put thing didn’t work out for a scrawny 15 year old…but being on the track team did lead me to a love of running…which in turn led me to a career as a fitness instructor. That was a goal that suited my personality and my skill set better.
The point is to realize that goals are fluid. Continue to pray over your progress and over what your goals are and if they should be adjusted. Reread yesterday’s tips on prayerfully considering goals to keep you lined up with God’s will. You might check in on a goal one day and decide to stop advancing on it, preferring instead to go a different direction. That’s okay. Be fluid.
Revel in your success
As you set your goals and check in on your progress, remember to take stock of your success. Chances are you’ll have lots of little successes on the way to fully accomplishing goals. Keep your eyes set on the victories you’ve had and remember that changing a goal along the way doesn’t mean it’s failed. The number of goals we set and accomplish does not define our goodness or success as a person. Goals are meant to drive us, they are there to help define where we want to go and push us toward that point. Goal setting is not an exercise in setting yourself up for failure; it’s about becoming your best self and taking pride in the success you find along the way.
Tomorrow I’ll be posting about reaching fitness goals. But before you walk away from this general discussion of goals…take a look at this great article I came across from Celebrate Every Day With Me. It’s got Biblical keys to goal-setting and 25 verses of Scripture to meditate on when setting goals. It’s really a great read!
Amy
