Goal setting is an important part of improving and growing as human beings. While a certain degree of self-acceptance is necessary for happiness, it is also equally important that we try to evolve and expand our horizons each day. With the start of another year upon us many will be setting New Year’s goals or resolutions. Most of these will fail but even the attempt can be valuable. But what can make us more likely to achieve our goals? We came up with a list of suggestions that will help us achieve our goals but let us know what works best for you.
First, it might sound simple but anything we can do to combat depression and discouragement will help us achieve our goals. Many during the winter experience seasonal affective disorder where the grayness of winter months really starts to get us down. If we are feeling this way we are less likely to be motivated to try new things and stay committed to our goals. There are many solutions for seasonal affective disorder but one helpful tip can be buying a light therapy lamp that simulates natural light we are missing in the winter.
Second, try and involve a friend in your goal setting. As human beings we crave companionship especially when trying something new or uncomfortable. We are often lazy creatures and a motivated partner will help us get out of bed and achieve our goals. There are tons of benefits to having an accountability partner or group. These range from getting feedback and advice to psychological factors like performing better in front of others. No matter which particular area you need help with, there’s no denying the benefit of having an accountability partner.
Third, have confidence in yourself. If we don’t believe we can achieve our goals, who else will? In the end, it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy if we don’t believe we can do it and then we don’t do it. We shouldn’t set goals that are unrealistic or out of our control to accomplish but we should start out with as much confidence as we can muster and then try to keep that confidence as long as we can throughout the project or goal.
Fourth, have a plan for how you want to accomplish your goal. As the saying goes, “a goal without a plan is just a wish.” Part of planning for a successful goal is setting mini goals you can achieve along the way. So if your goal is to read 100 books in 2019 you can set a mini-goal to read 10 in January. This helps us feel like we are accomplishing our goals when they may actually be pretty far off.
Lastly, remember to have fun with your goals! If the entire thing is a miserable process, what’s the point of all of this? After all, you don’t want to improve into being an unhappy person! Whatever our strategy is, setting goals is very important, if only to help us determine what we want out of life and where we hope to go. Hopefully these tips have been helpful. We would love to hear what you do to achieve your yearly goals. Let us know in this blog or on our social media!
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