Over the past month, we have been talking about how to set yourself up for success in the new year. We broke down how to create the best mindset, how to prioritize self-care, and how to fill you stress management toolbox (click here to review those blogs). The final part of making 2018 an amazing year is setting goals for success.
To find success in life, it is necessary to know what you need to be successful and how to get there. This is essentially all about creating and working on goals. It can be difficult to maintain motivation and know how to structure your time. You may not even now where to begin. Therefore, it’s important to have a strategy or formula for working on your goal. That way there is nothing that can stop you from achieving success!
STEPS TO SETTING GOALS FOR SUCCESS
- Identify values that are important to you: Values are ways of living; they are what you find most important in life. This will help give you direction on what kind of goals you want to set and how to prioritize them. Think about the things that are important for you and what it would look like to evaluate your life and say “wow I am successful and happy.”
- Pick one value to work on now: There are only so many things you can focus on at one time in order to give the necessary focus required for success. If you take on too much at once, you burnout, and it’s impossible to accomplish any of it.
- List a few goals related to this value: While values can be broad concepts, goals are very specific and show a clear result. Break down the different parts and steps you would take to feel like you are living your life in line with this value. For example, if you value family, one goal may be to find a significant other.
- Choose one goal to work on now: As discussed above, spreading your energy leads to not satisfactorily accomplishing anything. Focus on one goal at a time.
- Identify small action steps toward your goal: Think about small, concrete ways to begin achieving a goal. Ask what steps will move you closer to your goal. Back to the above example, an action step to find a romantic partner can be creating an online dating profile.
- Act! Work on your action step now: Having a plan is pointless without then taking action. Keep working through your action steps until it’s time to move onto another goal or another value.
SOME OTHER TIPS TO ACCOMPLISHING GOALS FOR SUCCESS:
- Create motivation: remind yourself on a daily basis why it is important for you reach this goal. Create a list of all the reasons you want to reach this goal and how it will benefit you. Read it every day. This helps to keep you inspired towards working on the goal. It is also helpful to review the list in the actual moments when there is a challenge, to stay on track. Sometimes you just need a little reminder of why you are doing something.
- Encourage yourself: Keep reminding yourself of your strength and capability. This will help you maintain the mental energy to keep working on your goals, even when you hit roadblocks.
- Reassess your values and goals from time to time: As life evolves and things change, your values and goals may change as well. Don’t get stuck just because you always thoughts this was your plan. Be willing to modify your plan and what goals you are working on.
- Problem solve obstacles: Don’t wait for things to get tough to be prepared to handle it. As you establish a goal and action steps, think about what roadblocks you might hit and how you can be ready to manage difficulties as they come.
Working on goals for success is a life long process. Don’t stop working on personal growth and striving for success when one goal is accomplished. It can be easy to become complacent, but why settle for that when you can be happy and satisfied. Once you have completed a goal, take a minute to give yourself credit and be proud of what you have achieved. Just make sure not to stop there, and pick a new goal to work on.
Start working on your goals right now! Evaluate how this past year went for you. Think about what you have accomplished and praise yourself on those successes. Think about what obstacles you came across so that you can account for them with future goals. Then ask yourself where you are with your 2018 goals. Do you know what you want to accomplish or do you first need to work that part out?
For a downloadable PDF of your personal goal setting and planning guide, sign up here
Alyssa Mairanz, LMHC, DBTC
Alyssa Mairanz provides counseling and therapy services for life transitions, relationship issues, self esteem, depression, anxiety, and DBT and Psychodynamic therapy in a NYC group practice in the Flatiron District near Madison Square Park. She also serves the Village, Chelsea, Union Square, the Financial District and the surrounding areas.
Empower Your Mind Therapy’s mission is to helps our clients build the life they want and find more happiness and satisfaction.
