How to Set Goals

During the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of us have been stuck at home for months on end, quarantined from doing most of our normal activities. Although this put a damper on many plans, it also left people with much more free time than usual. As such, many people have been doing challenges and learning new things to pass the time and be productive. But wanting to do something and staying committed to doing for however long it takes is easier said than done. So today, we wanted to give you guys some pointers on how to set goals - and how to follow through with them.

Set SMART Goals

You have most likely already heard of SMART goals, but we decided to include this here because they provide a good outline for goal-setting and achieving. You should try to start your goals with these guidelines in mind. For those of you who are unfamiliar, SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based. You want your goals to be specific because that way you will have the clearest idea of how to achieve it. Measurable goals are important as well because you want to be able to see your progress and aim for milestones along the way. Arguably the most important of the 5, having achievable goals is crucial. If the goal is unrealistic (like learning how to fly using nothing but your arms) or unattainable (climbing Mount Everest by the end of next week without no knowledge of mountaineering), you will be less likely to achieve it or even want to work for it. Having relevant goals is also important because if the goal you set doesn’t interest you or relate to you in some way, you might not see it all the way through to the end. And finally, having time-based goals. We would all love to give ourselves all the time in the world to do things, but just like you have deadlines at school and work, you should have deadlines for your goals too. That way, you will be motivated to finish on time (or even before time!) and you can make a definite plan to help you along the way (read on to learn how!).

Choose Something that Motivates You and Is Personal to You

Similar to making sure your goals are relevant, choose something that is important to you or motivating to you. By doing this, you will ensure that your interest in achieving the goal stays high and you stick with it all the way through. For example, if there is a certain skill that you’ve wanted to learn since you saw someone else doing it, or if there is some ability that is important to your job/education but you haven’t had time to learn it, setting a goal about it will be beneficial. In addition, making sure your goals are personal is vital to keeping you inspired. If you are just doing something because someone else is doing it or is making you do it, it will make the process harder and much less enjoyable for you.

Make A Plan

If you make a plan for when and how exactly you want to achieve your goal, this will help you greatly. First of all, you will be clear about what you have to do, and you can be sure not to over- or underwhelm yourself. There will be no doubt about the steps you need to take every day, and you will have milestones and be able to track your progress. Knowing what you want to do is important, but so is knowing how to make your dreams into reality.

Make Your Goals Public

Publicizing what you want to do - not necessarily to the whole world, but at least to people close to you - will keep you accountable. Because other people know about your goal, you will be more responsible to actually work towards it, because people might ask. Anyone you tell can ask you about the progress you’ve made and encourage you to keep going if you feel like giving up or slowing down. They will also celebrate your successes and achievements with you! This brings us to the next tip.

Celebrate and Reward Yourself!

While you have to be serious about sticking to your plan, there is nothing wrong with letting loose once in a while! When you reach a milestone or make a certain amount of progress, treating yourself with a nice dessert (but maybe not if you are dieting!) or a night out with friends can help you stay motivated and keep your head fresh and in the game.