Setting Goals is Hard
Here Are 10 Ways to Make it EASY
1. Break Down Your Goals!
Breaking down your goals into smaller, more specific tasks is the key to not getting overwhelmed and knowing what to do. Let’s say you have a goal of cleaning your house, instead of stressing about getting the whole house done, try making a list of each room and then a list of each activity you need to do in each room. Breaking the task down won’t get the activity done any quicker, however, it will make it easier to do as the goals are clear.
2. Make a List.
Write down your goals/task. Keeping everything in your head is not a great idea, this is adding extra stress as you have more to remember. You may also forget goals due to other tasks popping up throughout the day that requires your attention.
By making a list you allow your mind to focus on the task at hand, allowing you to be more present in the moment. The list you make can then be checked later as you complete tasks.
3. Time-Based Goals
By setting time-based goals, you know how long you have to spend on an activity and when it needs to get done. They are vital to staying on track.
Another benefit of this trick is that it helps prevent procrastination. Knowing that you only have limited time to get a task done prevents you from being more lethargic.
By making goals specific as mentioned previously, you allow yourself to get them done within the time frame as you know what has to be done.
4. Breaks
By giving yourself a break between each goal, you allow yourself to regain your mental and physical energy for the next one.
Let’s say you have broken down your goal into 5 tasks. Instead of working flat out and producing your poorest work by the end due to lack of energy and motivation, give yourself a 5–10 minute break between each goal. You will find that your productivity has increased significantly, and the quality of your work remains consistent.
While you do have to consider extra time used for breaks, you will now produce your best work.
5. Rewards
Rewarding yourself regularly is a good motivator for getting tasks done. After completing a day’s work, you could treat yourself to watching an episode of your favourite series, playing your favourite video game, or maybe going out with your friends.
Whatever the reward, remember to give yourself one, as if you do not, you may start to feel burnt out as you are not giving yourself a break and will lose all motivation to complete future tasks. Do not work yourself into your grave or so hard that you hate the work. remember to take breaks to stay consistent and reward yourself.
6. Deadlines
Creating deadlines links slightly with ‘time-based goals’. While you are using time, you are using it differently.
Instead of focusing on just the time you have to get a current goal completed, you use a deadline to tell you what date a group of certain goals has it be completed by.
Referring back to the cleaning house example. If you have a time-based goal to give you an idea of how long you have to clean certain rooms, you’ll use a deadline to tell you when the whole house needs to be cleaned. The time-based goal for one task maybe 2 hours, however, the deadline for all the tasks is 3 days.
The benefits of using deadlines are that you stop yourself from overrunning when trying to achieve goals. You know when something has to be accomplished. A deadline helps you stick to a timeline.
7. Ask for Help.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you are stuck with a goal. Maybe you need help physically to move something or need help with answers/ research. Whatever the question or task, find the relevant person and ask when you need it. This could be a friend or family member, or maybe an expert you have had to seek out. There is no point in struggling alone for the sake of damaging one’s ego.
The benefits of this are self-explanatory, if you ask for help when required, you not only save yourself struggle, but you may save yourself time too.
8. Focus on the Progress.
A big issue people have when they are trying to achieve a goal is that they feel that it is all for nothing, as if they have gotten nowhere. This is a feeling all of us have shared at some point when trying to accomplish anything of value. Instead of getting frustrated about not being at the end result, look back at how far you have come.
You have gained experience, built up a portfolio and learned valuable lessons. All will help you progress.
While you are not where you want to be, you are far from where you started. Be proud of yourself.
9. Monitor Goals
It is important that when you start getting through the goals, you not only look back and what goals you have achieved to keep you motivated but also make sure your current goals still align with the end objective. As humans, we tend to get distracted. A LOT. However by monitoring our current goals, we can make sure we are not veering off and are still doing relevant work that is aligned with what we want to achieve.
10. Adapt & Adjust
Adapting and adjusting goals can be the make or break between achieving a goal or not. You may need to change your goals for several reasons; you now have a shorter or longer time to complete the goal, the main objective may have changed, or other situations may have arisen in your life causing you to postpone the goal. Lots can happen in life and having the ability to be flexible and adapt your goals to circumstances if required is a great skill to have.
The benefits are that you will not be thrown off course when you have to change, you will still be able to focus and prioritise the new goal instead of pondering on, and complaining that the old goal has changed.
Thank you for taking the time to read my article. If you found it helpful and think someone else could find it helpful too, please share it and 👏🏽👏🏽.
A writer mainly on self-development. I occasionally write on personal experiences, interest and other topics too. If you are interested in self-development, then please read some of my other articles (linked below). Enjoy.
