Sometimes you need some tough love when you’re setting goals and other times, you just need a soft reminder that you can achieve the goals you set.
Whether you’re creating goals for the new year and starting 2023 with exciting ideas for what you want the year to look like, or you’re feeling like you need to make a change, come back to this list anytime for some reminders.
Here are 16 gentle reminders for setting goals:
1. It’s okay if your plans change
Keep the goals the same and be flexible with the plans. Or, if you realize that a goal isn’t working for you, change it. You get to set the rules. There are a lot of different ways to achieve one goal. Treat it like an experiment and find the way that works best for you to stay consistent.
2. Habits are easier & more important than goals
Instead of bigger goals, focus on the habits you’re doing every single day. It’s a lot simpler to look at your everyday habits than to focus on those long-term results you want to achieve. One step at a time.
3. Small actions still move you forward
Speaking of steps, every move you make toward your goals is a step in the right direction. Even if your capacity is lower in this season, make some small steps toward getting what you want.
4. It’s not a competition
Work at your own pace, and recognize that there’s no competition except maybe with yourself and working to live up to your own potential. And even with competing with yourself, recognize that you will have a different capacity at different points in your life (and even your menstrual cycle as a woman!)
5. You don’t have to wait for a new year to set goals
You can set goals at any time. You don’t need a new year, a new month, a new week or any excuse to decide that you want to set new goals for yourself.
6. You have dreams for a reason
I truly believe that when we feel this pull to do something, it’s for a reason. It means that you have the capacity to make it happen. Especially when you can’t stop thinking about it.
7. As Taylor Swift says, “You’re on your own kid.”
No one will ever care about your goals the way that you do. And that’s okay, but it’s a reminder that you can’t listen too much to what other people have to say. They’re not the ones who are living your life. They have their own fears they’re projecting onto you. If you want something, you’re the one who has to decide to keep going after it.
8. You can’t do life wrong
There’s no one way to live your life, and all of the “mistakes” you’ve made have hopefully taught you something. If you want to make a change in your life, you can do so at any point in time. You can’t do this wrong, so don’t beat yourself up if you feel “behind”, this is just the path your life is taking. Keep going.
9. You don’t have to do everything by yourself
Ask for help when you need to. Professional athletes at the top of their game still have coaches. People who seem to “do it all” often have help in making it happen. Recognize when you need to outsource, delegate or remove something in order to make time for these goals, so you can prioritize them. It’s not a weakness to ask for help.
10. Check in with your goals
After you set your goals, check in to make sure they’re still working for you. Don’t just set and forget your goals, but actually make a point to check in on them weekly – or at least monthly.
Not just to measure your progress, but also to make sure it still feels aligned with your values and what you want from life.
11. You get to define success
It’s hard to remember sometimes that success isn’t what our parents or society has told us and shown us. Feel like you’d rather be able to travel the world than make 6 figures at an office job? You get to define that.
12. Do your future self a favor and plan ahead
I swear it’s the little things when it comes to planning that makes all the difference when it comes to setting goals. When do you want them to happen? Where is it taking place? Book the class, make the simple moves that help make it as easy as possible.
13. Goals should be a fun challenge
Research says that there is a sweet spot for the goals you set – it should feel both challenging, while also realistic. If you start out setting goals with low confidence that you will achieve them, that will likely be your reality.
14. Surround yourself with people who inspire you
You’ve probably heard the phrase from Jim Rohn, “we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.” Hang out (both physically & on social media) with people who give you inspiration and motivation to go after your goals.
15. Measuring your goals is helpful until it’s not
Make sure your goals are aligned with your values, and you’re not setting goals with arbitrary numbers that don’t actually mean anything to you. What’s the reason for having a goal to reach 10,000 followers on Instagram? What does that actually mean? Make sure you’re checking in to see why you’re setting goals like this in the first place.
16. You are capable of making big things happen
Most important of all, here’s a reminder that you can make your goals happen. It’s a lot easier to have faith that you can make your goals happen when you have a lot of past proof or have had advantages in life. But regardless of any of that, you are just as capable as anyone else to make your dreams happen. Nothing is better than proving others (and yourself) wrong by going after your goals!
What reminders would you add to this list while you are setting goals?
