Okay… lets talk about that dreaded “G” word, Goals. —  Just typing the word has me reaching for my checklist. The concept is so simple, we see something we want or need, and we set a goal. Simple enough right? So what is it about creating these goals, that even with the best of intentions, seem so hard to commit to?

Believe it or not, there is a handful of very good reasons that range from simple to understand, to subtle and unsurprising to overlook. When I learned what I am about to share with you I was stunned. Most people come to terms that their plan was either too hard, or realized they did not care enough to see their goal out. Certainly that will do the trick, but today we are going to take a deep dive into understanding where we go wrong and what we can do better, to unleash our potential.

Gather around the mirror everybody, its time for some self-reflection. Did you know the average person hears 30,000 words a day?! Now you are probably thinking, “What on earth does this have to do with goals.” No worries, I got you.

The reason that is so significant, is because most plans are not fleshed out. They are made after seeing a desired result or object. In otherwords, we create them on the spur of the moment. As fast as we think or tell ourselves what we want to do, other things are being done around us and more conversations are to be had that day.

You see, the more time that exist between creating these plans and executing them, without any reminder to work towards it, the more likely it is that your goal will be left undone. At that rate, enough time will pass that our goal fades away from our mind faster than a Kobe Bryant game winning shot. — KOBE! 

Just like that, our ambition to see these goals of ours through vanish, due to time. Believe me when I say this, that’s not even the worst of it.

Fear is one of the strongest emotions we can feel, and it is extremely important to understand when it comes to setting goals. Im sure most of us have heard the term “cold feet” right? A phrase used to describe someone scared of stepping into the unknown. Well according to Dr. Nathan Brandon, this experience is actually called ‘completion anxiety’ — “the fear that you will not be able to complete a task or the worry that you will not perform well enough to meet the standards set by others.”

As if we didnt have enough anxiety to deal with. As intimidating as that sounds, when we reflect on the goals we have already failed, in addtion to this anxiety, our chances of failing a goal start to snowball very fast. Understanding this anxiety, and developing counters against it is crucial to evolving the way we set goals, and become better versions of ourselves.

Alrighty, enough with bad news, lets get this change started! This first strategy is going to be the easiest one to implement, and will leave you happier and more confident as you set out to complete your goal. What we are going to do is set attainable goals. I can hear some of you scoffing saying, “wow why didnt I think of that.” It’s okay, no hard feelings I was one of those people.

Weight loss is one of the most common applications of goal setting, and for good reason, who doesn’t want good health and an attractive body to go with it? It is also a great place to put this strategy into application. Imagine you leave the doctors office unhappy with your weight, its the end of winter, and another summer season is approaching fast. Filled with determination from your visit, you pledge to yourself that you are going to lose 40 pounds.

Sounds easy right? But I forgot to add that in this hypothetical, you have never hit the gym before, you are not on a healthy dieting routine, and generally aren’t active throughout the day. While still yes it can be done the chances of you completing this goal are unfortunately slim, theres too much time between the start and end of this plan, and no course of action to help you get to where you want to be.

Not to worry though because with this trick, the pressure of completing such a daunting goal is greatly minimized. Are you ready for it? Instead of aiming for 40 pounds of weight loss before summer, change the goal to lose 2-5 pounds a week until summer. WOW that is such a great idea! What seemed like a mammoth of a task is suddenly as small as an ant in your bedroom. Now you can crush that bug, and your goals.

The heading may or may not have spoiled it, but developing a plan is the next tip we can use to improve the way we create goals. It is great to do alone, and even better to do with the other strategies you will learn today.

Let’s take our workout example a step further here. First we realigned our sight to complete our goal scaling it back to a much easier task. That’s great, but we can do even more. Developing a course of action is going to make reaching that 5 pound a week milestone feel much more rewarding. Using a checklist to plan your goals is an amazing tool to use when making a plan.

Firstly, checking off task on a list feels exciting, I smile every time I cross that line over my steps. It is also very satisfying to see a checklist get smaller, but there is a bigger reason why checklist are such an amazing device to use for creating plans, and we are completely unaware of it!  Until now.

That satisfaction I mentioned actually has a name, it is called “self-directed learning”. You see, in our brains, when we complete tasks on a checklist, causes a release of dopamine in the brain. In other words, it creates feelings of happiness and motivation in you. and there are plenty of benefits that we can take advantage of from creating a checklist such as:

By creating a checklist, and completing your tasks, you are holding yourself accountable to your goal.

When you complete a task, you are more likely to repeat that behavior, seing your goal through, and training yourself to approach future goals in such a manner.

By using a checklist you reduce your dsitractions, seeing exactly what you need to do as you reach your goal.

Have you ever been told to “set your sights”? Usually people just take that moment to reflect on what they want to accomplish. A reminder is always good, but when you do it literally, it serves you so much better. Creating a vision board is a fantastic way to improve the way you set future goals.

For those that are not familiar with a vision board, it is a collage of images and photos related to your goals. Vision boards are great because they are so easy to make and help you in many ways. Looking at your board daily will boost your motivation, reinforce your goals, and help you visualize your success. Who knew a little arts and crafts was so helpful! I haven’t even said the best part, when you combine this with the other strategies like a checklist, youll feel even more invigorated!

Just writing this post, I feel so full of energy and determination to accomplish my goals for the week. When you feel that burst of ambition take advantage of it as much as you can, but do it cautiously. Burnout is a very real thing, and can make you feel like you just wont ever see your goal realized. That is why it is also very crucial to take breaks.

Give yourself some time to step away from the grind — you have earned it. Taking these breaks gives you space to recollect on what you accomplished, creating a sense of pride, and you should be proud of yourself. As you look back at the beginning, you might even feel a boost of confidence that you are going to close it out seeing how far you have come. That’s my favorite part.

The reality is there is more to life than just the goals we set out for, and taking these breaks allows you to re-engage with other important dynamics of your life you may have distanced yourself from like family, love, or traveling.

This is my favorite strategy, because its fun sure, but it represents everything we’ve talked about, and thats to celebrate! YOU DID IT! Whatever your goal was took time, dedication, purpose, intelligence, and much more and you came out on top. That is no matter to be left unrecognized.

Celebrating your successes is very important. You are taking the time to acknowledge that you achieved something that you pushed yourself for, and that you are capable of doing anything you set your mind to. Ending your journey this way will be a reminder for future goals that you have overcome adversity before, and when the next goal comes, you will be ready.

You’ve made it through your goal, and my 5 essential tips to see your goals through, I guess thats two things to celebrate! Setting attainable goals, developing a plan, creating a vision board, taking breaks, and acknowledging your success. With these tools there is no shortage of things you can achieve, I believe in you, do you? Get out there and show us what you can do.