2020 is coming to a close (thankfully!) and the new year is upon us. What do you want your 2021 to look like? Planning now and setting your goals will empower you to hit the ground running in 2021!
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What is your goal? You may have something you’re working towards, but have you taken the time to write it down? You may be thinking, “Why would I write it down? I already know what my goal is.” Ok, is your method working? Are you well on your way towards reaching your goal? If so, then you’re doing awesome! Stop reading here and go crush those goals!!
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But, if you’re like a lot of people, that’s not quite the case. So, read on my friend!
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Goals help give you direction, guidance, and measure your progress. Regularly revisiting your goals helps you stay on track. It’s also helpful to know WHY your goal matters to you? Why are you working toward the goal? The more powerful your "why", the stronger your goal (and more likely you are to stay on track to meet it!).
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Now, think about your goal and write it down using the SMART goal format. Make sure it is very specific; feel free to include detail. It also must be measurable, because how else will you determine if you were successful in reaching the goal? Speaking of reaching your goal, make it attainable and realistic. You want it to be just outside of your comfort zone, but not so far that it stresses you out like crazy to work towards or would be a miracle to accomplish. It goes without saying, but it should also be relevant to where you want to go in life. Pick a path and stick to it. Finally, it should be time bound. What’s your deadline? This should also be realistic (see above).
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Use this template “I will [do what] for [how long] by [when] because [list your why].” An example of a long term goal might be: “I will lose 10 lbs in 3 months to become a healthier version of myself and a good role model to my children”. Once you have your goal figured out, write it down and begin thinking about the steps you need to take to get there.
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Next, it will be important to write a couple shorter term goals that you can use as benchmarks to meet along the way. These short term goals will help to create a framework for you as you develop your action plan. They are also small successes to celebrate along the way! More to come about this in my next post! For now, work on writing down your kick a$$ SMART goal! Feel free to share below!
