Following on from last weeks blog we're going to explore more on what stops you from achieving your goal(s). Last week we explored the meaning of WHY and how important it is to make sure you really connect with your goal. Failing to make that strong connection can stop you getting the result(s) you desire.
This week we are going to look at Aiming too Big. Often we can be so focused on our desires we create a goal, without giving it a reality check. He's a useful guide to help you set your goals without aiming too big;
Make your goal realistic - there is no point in setting a goal that's impossible to achieve - you're only going to set yourself up to fail before you've started. You will soon become demotivated if your goal is unrealistic, so take a few minutes and ask yourself "can I really achieve this?" Make sure you have the ability to achieve your target - its no good saying I'm going to climb Mount Everest this year, if you've never climbed a mountain before. Set your sights on climbing a mountain that will challenge you, but is also within your reachWork Backwards - think about your final outcome and work it backwards to achieve, doing this makes it more relevant to you so that you can achieve. For example I want to reduce my golf handicap by 5 shots in 12 months. To achieve this goal I need to review current performance, understand weaknesses and address those areas with improvement plans. This had identified I need to work on my fitness levels, which in delving deeper identifies I need to improve my flexibility, cardio vascular and core strength. I need to undertake a mixture of pilates, yoga and weights weekly to improve my flexibility and core strength and circuit training and spin for cardio.Consider your constraints - don't over commit yourself, whilst you want a challenge, ensure you can fit the time in required to undertake the effort to achieve your goal. Life's commitments still need to be carried out. Make sure you can incorporate into your existing schedule. Most people fail due to underestimating the amount of time required to fulfil the task. To prevent this happening to you, plan your time, block out the times required in your daily/weekly schedule. This will keep you focused. If its going to the gym after work, pack your gym bag and take it with you to work so that you go straight away at the end of your shift.Flip the size of your goal - sometimes we take on a goal that's so large, the sheer scale of it can put us off. There's an old saying "you don't eat an elephant in one sitting" - if you feel your goal is incredibly large, break it down into bite-sized chunks. Flipping the size of your goal to a smaller one works in your favour, by not being put off by the size you are more likely to start it and sustain it. Lets take running a marathon as an example, if you started off from scratch trying to run for 30 minutes each day, by day 2-3 you would probably give up. However creating a smaller goal of say walking 10 minutes each day for a week, you are more likely to do this as its easy to achieve and maintain. Once you've started the process you can then increase slowly working towards the bigger goal. Creating a smaller goal is easier to get your buy-in, keep you motivated and ingrain a new habit. Making it easier means you are more likely to take action and make the necessary changes to your behaviour. Gradu
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