Staying On Track With Your Goals

We’re almost to month 3 of 2020. Can you believe it?? Time seems to be passing by so quickly but not that long ago, everyone was setting their intentions and goals for the new year. How are you doing with your 2020 goals? Have you quit? Even started? We know how difficult it can be to complete goals, so we wanted to discuss some key factors to staying on track so you can accomplish all your goals and intentions you set out to in January.

First off, what big goals do you have? Perhaps you’re trying to lose weight, get fit, write a book, redecorate the house, or start your own business. Maybe you are just tackling too many different goals all at once.

In the beginning, it is very easy to feel motivated and inspired when you first set a new goal. But as time goes on and ‘life’ starts to happen, unfortunately, usually that initial enthusiasm wears off and it is easy to abandon those once exciting goals. Whether it becomes too difficult to keep up with during busy times, or it just doesn’t seem as important anymore as the weeks go by.

Here are some tips and tricks to help you stay on track with your goals, whatever they might be:

1- First and foremost, Set Fewer Goals

Where most people fall apart, is their focus. All goals take effort and there are only so many hours in a day. Most people are more successful if they FOCUS on one or two things at a time. Nothing changes overnight, so try and focus on your key goals and build up over time. For instance, if you’re wanting to eat healthier, try subtracting one key element at a time like not drinking soda. Once you have that down for a few weeks, then you can add in trying to not eat fast food or processed foods and keep building that way.

2- Make Sure to Have a Plan!

One of the main reasons why goals derail is because we fail to plan ahead. It’s easy to come up with excuses to give up on a diet when a series of social events pop up or life gets busy, or abandon your side business with things get hectic at your day job.

Take a look at your calendar and set aside a specific time to work on your goals.

Whether it be going to the grocery store every Saturday to make sure your fridge is stocked with healthy food or even meal prepping, so when life gets busier and your hungry you have something healthy to eat instead of grabbing whatever you can to feed your hunger. Or if you’re writing a book, set aside an hour every morning to write. Whatever your goal may be, make sure you are planning ahead so that you can actually accomplish it. Set out actual time in your schedule to work towards completing your goal.

Also, make sure you are also thinking of all the problems that may arise and troubleshoot before hand. For instance, social events when you’re dieting, make sure to plan ahead. You can either eat before you go or take your own food with you so you’re not as tempted with the foods you shouldn’t eat. And even if you ‘mess-up’ one time, get right back on track the next time and don’t be so hard on yourself. Things happen and if you keep trying then it’s not a ‘failure’.

3- Set Milestones & Celebrate Them

The end goal might seem like a long way off, especially on those difficult days. Whether you’re aiming to lose 50 pounds, get a book published, work in your own business full-time. More than likely you’re looking at months or even years or work to complete your goal and can easily get discouraged if progress is slow.

So instead of focusing just on only the end goal, give yourself some milestones to celebrate! Make a big deal of your milestones because they ARE a big deal! Celebrate every 10lbs you lost or each chapter you finish in your book. Also, give yourself a deadline to aim for with each milestone, so that you feel more accomplished. Don’t be unrealistic about your deadlines but make them ambitious.

4- Make Good Habits

The best way to complete a goal, especially a larger one, is to make it a habit. Much of what we all do in life is habitual. More than likely, you do not need to be constantly reminded to brush your teeth, shower or even eat. It’s just a normal part of your day and has been happening around the same time every day that it’s now a habit. But when it comes to your goals, you might consider the day-to-day a constant struggle in finding the time and/or energy for them.

When you develop good habits that support your goals, you’ll find the process much easier and much times progress faster. For instance, if you struggle to find time to exercise, find time in your schedule to go for a walk every day. Maybe get up an hour earlier to do that exercise program. You could even do stretches or exercise in the commercial breaks when watching your favorite tv shows. It might be difficult at first, but if you’re constant it will become a habit before you know it!

5-Keep Track of Your Progress

After you’ve been working on the same goal for so long, you might not notice the progress you’ve made. Keep a journal or take pictures, then when you look back where you were a few months ago, you’ll often be surprised at all you’ve already accomplished. Tracking your progress can really keep you motivated!

Write down your key list of achievements every week or month. Keep a record of any particular statistics (like weight, measurements, or even non-scale victories). Even just your mindset and what you are thinking. It doesn’t matter exactly how you go about tracking your goals, you just want to have a way of seeing what you’ve already achieved.

6- Have Support & Encouragement

It is much easier to stay motivated in your goal-achieving when you surround yourself with positive, encouraging people. Whether it’s your significant other, friends, family, or colleagues, you want people in your life that you can talk to and will encourage you to achieve these goals you set out to.

If you don’t have these types of people in your life, or perhaps they do not understand what or why you are trying to accomplish this goal, look for groups of like-minded people.

Whether it be online or in person. If you’re trying to start your own business, there are many entrepreneurs meet-up. Join a group fitness gym or dieting club, if you’re trying to exercise more or lose weight. If you can’t find an in-person group, there are so many Facebook groups of people wanting to share and encourage, that are probably trying to accomplish the same goals as you. Or you could even hire a coach to help keep you on track. Whatever you should do, you just want to be involved with people that understand and share your enthusiasm for your goal. They’ll be there to encourage, support and offer advice during the hard times.