Thinking of stuff we want to do is easy. Making goals? Sometimes, not so much. Goal-setting can be tricky. And let’s let’s be real, it can be a kind of boring. But the satisfaction of ticking off that thing you’ve wanted to get done for forever is maybe one of the best feelings ever. Seriously.
That’s why we’ve come up with this handy guide on how to make goals. So whether you want to save up for your next trip, ace that final project at school or eat more green vegetables, follow these super simple tips, and you’ll be ticking off those boxes in no time.
Start with What Motivates You
Ask yourself: “what do I want to works towards?”
Hint: it literally can be anything. ANYTHING. Want to keep killing it during exam season? Perfect. Work on that cash flow? Amazing. Learn all the lyrics to Drake’s latest album? Sounds awesome. All that matters is what motivates you*.
*Society, celebrities, friends, your Aunt Peggy, that dude from High School and everyone else need not apply.
Decide on Your Goal
Take what you want to do and figure out what’s in your way of doing it. Your goal is whatever’s going to Incredible Hulk-style smash through that barrier. For example, maybe you want to explore the local bike trails of your city. There’s just one hiccup: you don’t have a bike (yet). So your goal could be to save up to buy one by See? Easy peasy.
Break it Down to Avoid Getting Overwhelmed
Ever wanted to stay in bed and avoid doing your to-do list? Us too. It’s easy to get intimidated by your own goal – especially if it’s on the loftier side. Luckily it’s an easy fix: just break down your goal into smaller parts. It’ll be less intense and you’ll get to check more things off your list along the way (which is way more satisfying anyways). So instead of jumping into “obtaining Michelle Obama arm strength”, work your way up to that. Like they say, Rome (or Michelle Obama’s arms) wasn’t built in a day.
Make a Game Plan
Now that you have something you want to achieve (i.e. become a cheese expert), a specific goal (i.e. get credentials to be a professional cheese connoisseur) and have broken down a to-do list (i.e. take cheese classes and read required cheese-related textbooks), now you need a game plan. Here, you can set action items and timeframes. And most excitedly, how you’ll get started. Maybe that means making resumes to apply for a part-time job. Or in the example used: apply to, uh, cheese college?…
Make a Commitment with Yourself
You got this. What do you have to lose? You’ll never know unless you try. (Did we miss any of those cliché upbeat phrases?). It’s time to make the commitment with your #1 most important person: you. So write down your goal, and put it somewhere you’ll see it often. Yay, go you!
Do a Celebratory Dance
Optional but recommended. Think this one’s pretty self-explanatory. You’re on a path to self-improvement, get pumped!
Share it with Some Friends
Some research has found that people that share their goals with close friends and give them updates of their progress achieved their goals 75% of the time, as opposed to 50% of the time when keeping it to themselves. When you tell others, you become more accountable. Simple as that!
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