goal setting

Ever wish things could be different in your life?  Change is possible, if you set some realistic goals and work towards achieving them.  In my last post, I reflected on my achievements in 2018.  I’m still thinking about my goals for next year but in the meantime, I thought I would write about the importance of setting goals. 

Why set goals?

•          They give you focus and motivation
•          They give you something to work towards
•          They are a tool for self-improvement
•          You get a real sense of achievement and inner-fulfilment that comes from attaining a goal

Who should set goals?
Everyone!  Age is no barrier.  Setting goals is not just for young people!   When I was at university studying towards my BA 20 years ago(!), there was an elderly person in one of my English literature classes who had obviously made it a goal to attend university and obtain a degree (or at least complete a paper).  As I have mentioned previously, I am currently participating in the YMCA 10k Summer Series.  Some of the elderly runners are still doing marathons and half marathons (not to mention making it a goal to participate in the 10k series!).  Very inspiring stuff.

When to set goals
Any time! A lot of people like making new year’s resolutions, whereas I prefer to think of them as goals I am working towards.  Whether you choose to set your goals at the beginning of the year or at any other time, remember that you can revise your goals at any time.  If you realise that you’ve set the bar is too high and your goal is unattainable, lower it.  If you have already achieved a goal, set a new one!  Don’t forget that it’s perfectly fine to set a goal for the following year (or even later).  When I started the YMCA 10k summer series in September, I set a goal to run the course in a time of under one hour by the end of the series in April 2019.

How to set goals

•          Have a think about what you’d like to achieve in different areas of your life, such as career, study, finances, health and relationships
•          For each goal you want to achieve, identify some concrete steps that you need to take in order to get there.  By breaking your goal down in this way, it becomes less daunting!

Tips for goal-setting

•          Don’t set too many goals.  You’ll lose focus if you spread yourself too thin and end up being disheartened if you can’t achieve everything
•          Make your goals realistic.  This year, I wanted to lose weight, but I knew I had a long road ahead of me because I needed to lose over 30 kg.  When I joined a new gym in July, my goal was to be 70 kg by Christmas, not 60 kg (my goal weight).  I managed to achieve this – I am 68.3 kg at present.  I can continue working towards my goal weight next year
•          Remember that you might achieve your goals.  Don’t be disheartened if you don’t achieve all of them. If you don’t achieve a goal, have a think about why you didn’t.  You might need to re-adjust the goal or give yourself a bit longer to achieve it.  On the same token, you may even achieve a goal that wasn’t on your list!  One side-effect of my weight loss was the change in my body composition and increase in overall muscle mass.  This wasn’t something I specifically sought to achieve this year- it was something I was intending on working towards next year
•          You might need to work towards some goals over a number of years.  For example, as I discussed in my gardening blog, I would like to make the garden more organic but this goal will take quite a bit of time
•          Remember to look back on your achievements to see how far you have come.  I chose to do this at the end of the year but you can do this any time.  Anything that you didn’t manage to achieve can always be added to next year’s goals!