Effective Goal Setting: 4 of the Best Tips

Want to achieve your goals this new year? Here are some of my favorite tips for effective goal setting tips that work with your life, instead of against it. 

I get it: Setting goals and actually *sticking* to them can be challenging. For so many years I set goals that I never achieved. At first I thought “it must be me,” and “I’m not trying hard enough.” In actuality, neither of those things were true. Instead, I had been setting myself up for failure by creating goals that didn’t *actually* fit into my life.

So, I created a new goal setting strategies. Now, I’m sharing my tips with you! What sets them apart is they aren’t married to any timeline. You can do them whenever! They take the pressure off the need to do things right now, and instead place the goal on creating effective, actionable lifestyle goals. Therefore, it eliminates the stress that placing a certain date on a goal can create. And honestly, the stress is sometimes the very thing that impedes our goals from getting achieved. 

My Four Tips for Effective Goal Setting

1) BREAK IT DOWN

Since life can be ~all over the place~ I like to break my goals down into categories. I create at least one goal for each of the following: PERSONAL, SPIRITUAL, FINANCIAL, HEALTH, FAMILY. Your categories may be different, but these are some good ideas for where to start

2) GET SPECIFIC

Without clear and specific direction, you’re setting yourself up to never reach your goals from the get-go. When a goal is vague it makes it too confusing to work toward and easier to “put off” until another day, another year. Not to mention the more specific you get, the more you will feel accountable and committed to yourself to achieve.

3) THINK BIG

I’ll be honest, this is not something that is easy for me. In fact, I tend to be more of a “be realistic” type of person, which I almost put on this list and decided not to.I realized that I’d rather make big goals and “fail” at them then never even try. Don’t hold back. Let yourself believe that you can achieve (insert what’s on your mind right now). Because the truth is, the big outcomes have to first start as a big goal.

4) MAKE IT VISUAL

Whether you’re a visual person or not, this is a key step that will keep your MOMENTUM going far beyond the day you set your goals. The key to having a vision board is looking at it EVERY DAY, and feel the feels that those images evoke. Feel like they are a part of your life NOW! For me the easiest way to make a vision board is to make a secret board on Pinterest. You could also do a collage on Canva or a physical vision board, if you’re more of the crafty type. Add images that convey your goals, how they make you feel, and what your life will look like.