We’ve all been there: as the year draws to an end, we start thinking about the goals we set for ourselves back in January, and feel a little pressure if we’re not quite as far along as we would have hoped. And this year in particular has proven to be extra challenging when it comes to accomplishing our goals!
What if, instead of feeling guilty about what we could have accomplished over the past few months, we came at it from an empowered and reinvigorated state to finally take action on our dreams?
Consider these 6 steps your official Goal-Getting Guide; you’ll be taking major action towards your dreams in no time.
Create a visual of your big dreams
All of our goals pretty much revolve around our bigger dreams in life, right? So if you find yourself setting goal after goal and not accomplishing much, you may be hiding from those big dreams of yours and setting goals that just aren’t aligned.
The first step I take when setting new goals is creating a visual representation of what those big dreams are and what my dream future looks like. This step can also include thinking about your values and what’s important to you!
Since our dreams tend to change and evolve as we grow as individuals, my favorite way to get clarity on this is to add to my secret Pinterest board titled My Future (#manifesting!). I Pin everything from ‘girlboss’ quotes to exercise routines to living room decor to outfits. Similar to a vision board, this gives me a clear picture of what I hope to achieve.
Indulge in a dream-setting day
Now that you have a visual, why not break the cycle of feeling stagnant and start to reinvigorate your goals by setting aside a full day (or at least a few hours!) to name those big dreams, set aligned goals and develop your plan of action.
I like to call these my Dream-Setting Days and I pencil them into my calendar at least once per quarter. Because of the significance I’ve associated with these days, I start to feel more enthusiastic about my goals the instant I schedule them—and I always end my Dream-Setting Days with extreme clarity and eagerness to achieve my goals.
For me, these days involve waking up early, putting on my comfy yoga pants, playing my favorite Indie Spotify playlist and taking a deep dive into the following steps while keeping my Pinterest board up on my laptop.
Define your dreams and create your goals
Based on your Pinterest Board (or vision board), start off by writing down what your top 10 dreams are. These dreams could be far off in the future, or things you could accomplish within the next few months. No matter the timeline, make sure they’re ones that excite you.
Once you have your list of 10 dreams, break each one down into a specific, actionable goal you can accomplish within the next few months that would help you turn each dream into a reality. At the end, you should have one list of 10 dreams and one list of 10 goals.
Develop your plan of action
The truest quote I’ve ever heard:
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
-Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
If you really want to turn those dreams into your reality, create an action plan of how you’ll accomplish them. Map out the exact steps you’ll take to achieve your goals, how much time you’ll put in each week, and what days you’ll work on them.
Another important factor here is measuring your progress—will you check in on your goals daily, weekly or monthly? Will you measure progress in a journal or a note on your phone? Develop a system upfront so you’ll know if your action plan is working for you or if anything needs to be shifted!
Write down your goals daily
Last year, I bought a Start Today Journal by The Hollis Co. and it’s turned into one of my favorite daily practices. The practice is so simple that you could do it in any notebook or journal you already have! Each day, write down your 10 big dreams in the present tense as if you’ve already accomplished them.
Doing so helps strengthen your mindset around your goals and keeps them top of mind so you feel motivated to work toward your dreams each day.
Research shows that you’re 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down; with stats like that, you have no reason not to give it a try!
Work on your mindset every single day
*Puts on NeuroLinguistic Practitioner hat* Did you know that your subconscious mind will never make you out to be a liar? Here’s what I mean: if you believe (consciously or unconsciously) that you are not capable or worthy of achieving your goal, you simply won’t achieve it.
We all have an internal belief system, and unfortunately, many of those subconscious thoughts are limiting beliefs that actually hold us back. The absolute best thing you can do to go from goal-setter to goal-getter is to develop a positive mindset that supports your goals and dreams.
Take note of what thoughts run through your mind—are they empowering thoughts, or are they more along the lines of “I can’t do this?” Start putting in the effort each day to shift your mindset, and you’ll accomplish your goals in no time.
We’ve still got over three months to make the most of 2020—start getting after your goals today and finally bring your dreams to life!
