Minimize Your Goals
Goal-setting should be combined with mindfulness
One day I woke up in terrible pain. I couldn’t move my left arm. My left hand was also stiff and my fingers were in pain when I tried to move it or hold something. I felt weak. Then, I went to a doctor. He said, “Your body is under terrible stress. What do you do this whole week? If you don’t change your lifestyle, your muscle will be weak and the pain will be worst day by day.”
It has happened few years ago when I accepted many writing projects and participated in many writing competitions in one year. I worked in an office while doing many tasks to build my writing career. I wrote many goals (maybe there were more than 7 goals at that time). Actually, my body sent me the alarm. I felt a little pain in my fingers because I typed for hours. I realized, if I wanted to have a long-term writing career, I should fix my bad habit, including my ambition.
I need a mentor, and I registered myself in a self-development class series brought by Upgrade Learning. I learned about goal-setting, communication, and leadership. Goal-setting became my fav subject. Our time is limited and time management is an essential part to achieve our goals.
After learning and practising, I find the conclusion. To make a great goal-setting, we should have great mindfulness. I didn’t make a long-list new year resolution again. Every time I wanted to join a writing contest, I will look at my 4-month goal-setting and back on track again. Yes, we can make 100 things to be our dream on a bucket list, but I want to have control in my life including my dream.
When I use mindfulness in my goal setting, I will divide it into two sections. The first section is about things that I can control. The second section is about the things that I can’t control. I give you an example. I want to have a successful writing career. Is it any guarantee that I can reach it within 2 years without any prior experience? No.
There are 2 possibilities in the future, it’s success or failure. I can’t control my future. However, I can make a plan to learn from books or a great mentor, start my writing project every day, and participate in a writing challenge. Those are the things that I can control. I can measure my progress from feedback or failure, then I will upgrade the way I practice and learn.
To have control, I can’t do many things in the same time. I should realize that I have limited time as a company worker. That’s why, although there are many people who ask me to open a Japanese language course, I can’t do it now because my attention span is only for building my writing business. In 2022, I made a plan to collaborate with a start-up as a social media planner in the first semester.
Then in the second half, I was focusing on my writing class and collaborating with another e-learning start-up. I achieved my goals while travelling a lot. Break down six months plan into weekly and daily goals. Don’t forget to check on your energy level, focus, and time. These three things will accompany your journey to reach your daily goals.
Minimize your goals, so you will have control and don’t be bothered with the future. Don’t overthink things that you can’t control. Be a dreamer, go for it, and don’t forget to stay relaxed and happy.
