If you are failing to plan, you are planning to fail
Benjamin Franklin
Today we’re going to focus some more on tips for setting goals and intentions!
Last week I shared my goal getting guide with you, to help you prepare for the new year. The goal getting guide helps you set your goals from 5 years to today, so you can achieve everything in a structured way and not have goals that you forgot about.
As you may have figured, I am definitely that person that sets her goals way too high and forgets about them. Then, halfway through the year, I find the sheet I have written them on. I see my goals, am reminded of them, and will probably think; yeah sure. As if I can do that within the rest of the year.
So, therefore, I decided this year is going to be different. I am fully committed to achieving those goals, and to be honest, I kind of have to make them work regardless. So I came up with the 5 best tips to setting your goals and intentions.
Now first let me explain how I see goals and intentions. To me, they are very similar but also quite different. I think a goal is something that is a single checkmark. I think we can get really demotivated if we cannot achieve a goal, which does nothing to help us. A goal for me would be to make X money this year. Last year one of my goals was to buy a house. To travel to three new places. To read a book in French. I achieved 2 of those and that was really nice!
An intention to me is more something like habits we want to implement. They are things we have to work on on a consistent basis. They are not things that if you miss it once, you failed. Going to the gym 2x a week is an intention. If you miss one time in January and think; There goes my goal, that is really demotivating. With intentions and habits, I think we have to strive for progress, not perfection. We try our best and at the end of the year, we will have done better than last year.
So with all of that said, let’s go into the 5 tips for setting goals and intentions!
1. Understand how much work is going to into your goal
If you have big dreams, try to break them down into steps, and write down everything you can think of that needs to be done. Not only by you, but also by other people you need help from. Is it possible to do this in the timeframe you want it to be done?
2. Is it realistic for you?
Let’s say you want a 10 million dollar business in 5 years. That is a huge goal and would be amazing if you achieve it. But likely you’ll have to work 24/7 in order to reach it. Are you willing to do that, or would you rather take a bit longer or set your goal at 5 million dollars instead of 10, in order to take a bit of the pressure off? Personally, I know I can’t work that much because I will burn out within weeks, so I need to take that into account. Work for your goals, but make your goals work for you as well.
3. Is it measurable?
Make sure it is measurable. I do not work well with SMART goals, but one thing they are right about is measurability. You have to know whether you have reached your goal, so make sure you know when it is achieved. Especially goals like; ‘going to the gym more’ or ‘spend less time on phone’ are more difficult. Therefore it’s good to make them measurable. For example; ‘work out 2x per week’ or ‘set phone to downtime every day between 7pm and 7am’. It’s even better if you can put it into a habit tracker so you can really see how you’re doing.
tips for setting goals and intentions
4. Schedule them today!
Make time for them and schedule them in your calendar. Schedule those gym times, the time you need to meal plan, the time you want to spend with your family, and the time you need to speak that language fluently. By scheduling them you make it real, and you’re more likely to stick to your goals. You are also reminded of them on a regular basis.
5. Create your environment
Set yourself up for success by planning ahead and creating your life around achieving your goals. If your goal is to work out in the morning, lay out your clothes the night before. If you want to eat healthier, prepare meals in advance and skip the candy aisle at the grocery store. Be constantly reminded of your goals by sticking them on post its around the house, set them as your phone or laptop background, set calendar alerts with your goals. Create a vision board and stick it on the wall. Sign up for the courses you want to take so you have no choice but to go. Work your budget around them.
Et voilá!
Pop the champagne, we’re done! My 5 tips for setting goals and intentions. I truly hope this helps you achieve all your goals and build your dream life because that’s really what I want for everyone. And maybe it means you have to work a bit harder now so you can have the life you’re working for in a couple of years (or even faster!). Work hard, be patient.
❤ Tessa
Leave a Reply