It’s the time of year when many of us will be thinking about the year ahead, and setting some goals and resolutions to achieve in the next twelve months. It can be easy to just think “I want to achieve…”, but if you want to actually succeed in your resolutions, you need to set achievable goals. If you don’t have a goal to work towards, you can lose focus and direction, and be further from achieving the challenges you set yourself. Goals also help you set a benchmark for determining your success!

There are steps you can take to help you set and achieve your goals. It takes some careful thought into what it is you want to do, and how you’re going to go about achieving it.

Here’s our top tips for setting and achieving your goals!

1. Set yourself a motivational goal

It’s very important that your goals are motivational to you. They have to be important to you, and give you value when you achieve them. A goal that you’re not overly interested in won’t make you want to put the work in to make it into a reality. Similarly, if achieving your goal adds no value to you and your life, or you won’t benefit from it in some way, you are likely to be less interested in making it happen. Think about the high priorities in your life and set goals in line with these. This will give you a motivational attitude towards your goals, and will help to maximise your success. Try to think about why your goal is important to you and the value you’ll gain from achieving it, to motivate you to make it happen.

2. Make SMART Goals

Your goals need to be SMART. SMART goals are goals that are: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound. Sticking to this rule will help you achieve your goals.

A goal must be specific and clear. A broad goal won’t give you enough direction to ensure success. Defining what exactly you want to achieve will make it easier for you to get there. Rather than ‘I want to save money’, how about ‘I want to save 10% of my paycheck each month’.

A measurable goal is important as it’s how you’ll define your success. Be specific as possible, for example ‘I want to be able to run 10k’. This has a specific distance that you’re able to measure, rather than ‘I want to run more’. If you don’t have a way to measure results, you won’t be able to know when you have achieved your goal.

Attainability is also important, as you’ll experience disappointment if you set yourself unachievable goals. Think about what’s realistic and try to stick to that - without making it too easy for yourself! Remember you want to feel like you’ve really worked for your achievements, this will make you feel more motivated and proud of yourself.

Relevant goals are important as they should guide you in the direction you want your life to take. This will help you keep focus and move ahead with your life and career.

Finally, a time-bound goal is important as it gives you a sense of urgency, and will help you with a time to review how far you’ve come in your journey.

3. Write down or tell others your goals

Physically writing down your goals, or sharing them out loud will make them more real. This makes you less likely to forget, and gives you more accountability to try and achieve them. Make your goals definitive, and use words like ‘I will’ instead of ‘I’d like to’. Frame them in a positive light, and put them in a visible place to remind yourself each day, or talk to a friend about your goals who is likely to enquire about your progress regularly.  

4. Make a plan

Don’t just focus on the end game of your goal. It’s important to think about the steps needed to take to get there and make an action plan. Writing down all the individual steps you need to take to achieve your goal will help you in recognising your process, and turning large goals into smaller  chunks. Think about the smaller goals that will get you on your way to achieving your bigger goal. This is helpful if your goal is a little vague, like ‘I want to get fit’. A smaller goal could be to ‘exercise three times a week’, or to ‘cut down on unhealthy food’. Make sure these smaller goals are still SMART, and when you meet them you’ll feel on your way to your bigger goal.

5. Plan the first step

The first step you take to achieving your goal will be the hardest. Every journey starts with one step. Thinking about this first step on your way to your goals will help you get started. It could be something as simple as researching into your goals, planning how you’re going to achieve it, or even asking your friends and family advice.

6. Stick with your goals

It can be hard to stick with your goals, especially if they are long term, but keep reminding yourself that it’s an ongoing activity. Schedule in regular times to review your goals and see where you are in your journey. Keep motivated and give yourself incentives to stick with your goal to the end!

Now you have some ideas on how to set and achieve your goals, why not think about what you’d like to achieve in 2019 and set some resolutions? If your goals are yoga based, we have some great classes this week to help challenge you to try something new.

By Amy Cavill

Bring your goals to life now, with this guided visualization to help you in achieving your goals.

Manifestation & Visualization Meditation with Keith Allen