Turning Your Ideas into Achievable Goals
Everyone has ideas and dreams they want to turn into reality, but they often get stuck in the planning stage. As a result, they struggle to make them happen.
A major key to achieving your goals is becoming very clear about the results you want to achieve and creating a well-defined path to get there. But before you start setting goals, getting clear about your true “why” is essential.
Knowing the deeper meaning behind a goal helps you align your goals with your values and priorities.
It also enables you to create a crystal clear vision of what you want and why, making it easier to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-specific) goals aligned with your personal or professional aspirations.
I created this quick Video on S.M.A.R.T. Goals several years ago.
ENJOY!
Find The Deeper Meaning
The true “why” is the deeper reason behind your goal, which fuels your motivation and drives you forward. Therefore, it’s not just about losing 30 pounds or earning more money, but the underlying emotional or personal benefit you’ll gain from achieving that goal.
Get CLEAR About Your “Why”
For example, let’s say your initial goal is to lose 30 pounds. First, ask yourself why you want to do this. Perhaps you say it’s because you’re unhappy with yourself. Then ask yourself why you feel unhappy. The answer may be that you have flab and struggle to do the things you enjoy. Keep asking yourself “why” until you get to the root cause of the issue. In this case, after asking yourself why at least five times, you may find that you don’t enjoy the process you’ve chosen to lose weight, which makes it hard to stay motivated.
Use Your “Why” to Set Goals
Once you’re clear on your true “why,” it’s time to set inspiring and specific goals. Instead of just saying you want to lose 30 pounds, create a clear path to success by setting smaller, achievable milestones.
For instance, you might aim to lose 1-2 pounds per week by eating healthier, high-protein, low-calorie food you still love, doing 3 workouts a week that you enjoy, and tracking your progress consistently.
Attach Your Inspiration
Make your goals inspiring by focusing on the benefits you’ll gain from achieving them. For example, think about how losing weight will make you feel happier, more confident, and more energetic instead of just wanting to lose weight. Visualize yourself in your new body and how it will impact your life positively in ways other than how you look.
Make Your Goals Measurable
It’s also crucial to make your goals measurable so that they’re also trackable. For example, set specific targets for your weight loss, such as fitting into a specific item of clothing, running a 5k, or doing the things you could not do before losing weight. Then, track your progress regularly in an app or journal.
Celebrate
Make your goals enjoyable by finding ways to make the process fun and engaging. For instance, if you hate going to the gym, try swimming, dancing, or taking a fitness class with a friend. If you love food, take cooking classes or experiment with healthy new recipes. If you normally eat one type of food, try other more nutritious foods like Mediterranean or traditional Japanese food.
Find a partner or accountability buddy who shares your goals to support and motivate one another. Then, reward yourself for small wins with a spa day, a new outfit, or a fun activity you enjoy.
Now that you see how this all works together, try the following assignment to help yourself set goals you’re excited to pursue.
Day 4 ‘Finding Clarity’ Exercise: Establish Actionable Goals
Follow these steps to clarify your ideas into actionable goals:
- Write down your idea — Put it on paper to make it concrete and give yourself something tangible to review.
- Define your goal — Define what you want to accomplish, why you want to accomplish it, and how you will measure success.
- Make it specific — Define exactly what you want and how you will achieve it.
- Make it measurable — Set specific targets or metrics to track your progress.
- Make it achievable — Setting an unrealistic goal will only lead to frustration and disappointment. For example, losing 30 pounds in one month is out of reach for most people, but losing 5 pounds a month for 6 months is much more achievable.
- Make it relevant — Make sure your goal aligns with your personal or professional aspirations and will positively impact your life.
- Make it time-specific— Set a deadline or timeline for achieving your goal.
- Break it down — Break it into smaller, more manageable tasks.
- Create an action plan — Break your goal into manageable tasks and set milestone deadlines for completing each on
- Take action — Start working towards your goal today and stay focused and motivated as you work towards achieving it.
