Transitioning to the New Year: How to Set Realistic Goals

Having a great number of hopes and ambitions is a key motivation to push yourself out of bed in the morning whether or not you are actually inspired to carry out your responsibilities and realize your daily goals. You need to have a strong plan in place in order to achieve what it is in life that you want. Setting realistic goals and making detailed plans allows you to see both the big picture and the day-to-day incremental progress that ultimately leads to achievement. If you watched the movie “The Bucket List”, which came out in 2007, starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, you will have some idea of what is being said. The two major protagonists of this movie ended up meeting each other in a hospital. As the narrative progresses, one individual lends a hand to another in order to complete the activities on their bucket list. We should therefore make it a priority to offer one another assistance in compiling our bucket lists and initiating the activities listed within. Finding out what is important to us, what things get us involved, what our beliefs are and what things we want to alter in order to achieve our objectives is part of the process of defining goals for ourselves and working out how to attain those goals.

Goal setting implies that if we are not happy with the direction that our lives are taking, we need to make some changes in order to feel more fulfilled. If we are serious about making significant improvements in our lives, we will, without a doubt, have to alter our outcomes as well as the people we keep company with. If we take a look at the world around us and consider the individuals in our lives who are succeeding at the things they desire out of life, we may notice that these people have already made the necessary adjustments. Those who complain about the unfairness of life, how they never get a break, or how someone else has all the good fortune, are the ones in this entitled category of people. Unfortunately, they may not be looking at how hard those people have worked to create what they have. Setting realistic goals in life requires breaking them down into smaller and more manageable objectives. Asides the mnemonic acronym SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Bound) which is given as a guide to setting goals, here are other step by step guide we have put together for you to set realistic goals.

1. Visualize and Journal your goals: Everything starts from your thoughts and the big picture you see yourself feature in. The very first step to setting realistic goals is to envision one. According to studies, setting a goal in writing and coming up with a detailed strategy with scheduled dates for accomplishment will greatly increase your chances of success. The more specific your plan is in writing, the more likely it is that you will carry it through and accomplish your challenging objectives. Journaling helps to make the goals stick well and helps set your priorities right.
2. Have an Accountability Partner: Having a reliable person who holds you accountable can greatly boost your chances of achieving your set goals. The ideal accountability partner will encourage you when you lose sight of your objective, assist you in overcoming obstacles and applaud you when you make progress in that direction. The presence of an accountability partner is a committed partnership that encourages both parties to succeed.
3. Frequently Track your progress: After envisioning your goals and putting them into writing, it is important to track your progress. When you track your progress, you identify the obstacles preventing you from achieving your desired result, you are able to redirect your efforts, ensure the effective use of your time and the available resources and remain motivated to stay on track.
4. Overcome Limiting Beliefs: Louise Hay said “if you accept a limiting belief then, it will become true for you”. False beliefs also known as limiting beliefs discourage us from acting on crucial tasks or stepping beyond our comfort zones. They prevent you from pursuing your ambitions and goals. By recognizing your limiting beliefs, you can begin to modify your reality and stick to empowering thoughts. What do you want to achieve before this year runs out? Do you believe you have all it takes to get there? Do you believe in yourself or do you actually stand in the way of achieving your goals? According to Jason Pockrandt “Anything is possible once you believe you are worthy of achieving it.”
5. Do not be afraid to ask for support: Whether or not you admit to this, we all need help at one point or the other in our lives. However, knowing what kind of help you require, when to ask for it and who to ask for it from are all crucial. You will receive the assistance you require when you require it if you keep this in mind. Some of the risks of trying to do everything yourself includes burnout, isolation and demotivation while asking for help can help you stay energized, keep your motivation alive and help you stay happy.

It takes a lot of determination and desire to get what we want out of life.  In  order  to  achieve  what  we  desire,  we  need  to  make  a commitment to ourselves and have an awareness of how things operate. Setting objectives, committing them to paper, and then actively pursuing them are ways to figure out which activities will get us to the final destination we see for ourselves. 

Are you stuck in your goal setting and will need a coach to get unstuck? Are you interested in cultivating the habit of Journaling? Are you interested in planning a smooth transition to the new year? Speak to an Expert for free here