Re-Evaluating Your Goal Setting Plan

Many people tend to set personal goals in order to help them change habits and improve certain aspects of their lives. The most common time that people tend to set goals is New Years, as a new year is often thought of as a new start. Many are very determined and enthusiastic about these changes; at least in the beginning. However, often, within about two-six weeks of putting their goal setting plan into action, most of that enthusiasm and determination fades setting many people back into the same habits and routines as before.

Why does this tend to happen? Why does it become so difficult for some of us to succeed with our personal goal setting plan, while others seem to easily achieve goals? After many years of failing with my own goals and goal setting, here are some methods I have learned in order to be a more productive goal plan and fulfill those life goals.

Setting goals in a generalized manner, such as: to make more money; pay off bills; lose weight, or to be more organized, can make it pretty difficult to know where to start and what to manage in order to achieve the results that you desire.

For instance, if your life goals include making more money, consider what specific steps it will take to accomplish that. You can determine different approaches to this personal goal by looking at your current spending and money management habits in order to determine where you can make better use of your finances. You might consider options, such as what it would take to get a better paying job or to earn extra income on the side; or maybe consider how you might be able to get a raise at your current job. Each of these ideas are specific areas to consider for acquiring more income in your life.

But maybe your personal goal is to lose 20 pounds. If this is the case, consider what habits you are willing to take on in order to help to achieve that goal. Maybe it’s to start or to increase your exercise routine, or maybe it’s to develop healthier eating habits. You could learn more about what type of exercises or eating habits you would like to start working with.

Creating specific details for setting goals makes it easier for you to be able to achieve goals.

Many of us may tend to get overly motivated as we begin the process to achieve goals and in our ambition, we try to take on too much at once. This often leads to becoming overwhelmed, thus resulting in a loss of interest in the pursuit of their personal goal.

For instance, maybe you haven’t exercised in quite some time, yet you decide that in order to lose your goal of 20 pounds that you will head to the gym and work out for 1-2 hours a day. Within the first day or two, you realize that you are very sore, tired, overwhelmed, and maybe even feeling defeated. When this happens, you may decide to just give up on the goal altogether convinced that you just can’t do it.

The trick to follow through with your goal setting plan is to break your personal goals down into smaller, more manageable stages. For instance, you may decide to start out with exercising about 20 minutes a day (or whatever you feel you can handle) and begin with something simple, such as walking, biking, and light weights. Once you’ve done that for awhile, and feel comfortable enough with it to take on more, then you can add in a bit more time or a variety of exercises to your routines.

I have found that for accomplishing any project, or to achieve life goals that it is much easier to start with small tasks, that you know you can handle now and expand your efforts as you progress than it is to try to tackle everything all at once.

Keep focused on your purpose for setting goals in the first place and imagine how it would feel to achieve this particular goal. What rewards or benefits do you expect will come from succeeding with your goal setting plan? Keep these images or ideas in mind, or better yet, write them down as notes to remind you of why this personal goal is worth your efforts to accomplish.

Additionally, your goal setting plan can include images that serve to help you to visualize the results you desire. Also, work daily on small personal goals that serve to help you move closer to the larger goal.

It’s normal to get off track or to not consistently stick to the steps we have set in place to achieve goals. When this happens, don’t see the lapse as a failure and quit on your personal goal altogether. Just tell yourself that you took a break from it and that you can now pick back up where you left off and continue to move forward on your life goals.

The only way to achieve goals is to keep moving towards it, even if you don’t get there as fast as you had hoped, finishing with your goal is still a great achievement. Don’t give up on yourself by completely letting go of your goals plan.

Be careful about setting expectations or deadlines that become unrealistic for you to fulfill. Making changes to our habits and routines can be an ongoing process of learning and personal growth that might be met with obstacles. Keep in mind that obstacles are meant to push us beyond our current limits and abilities which helps you move towards greater success with your personal goals.

The only real limits we have are the ones that we believe we have. So, in order to reach your life goals, rather than give up when the task proves to be more difficult or takes longer than you expect, find ways to overcome those obstacles. On the other hand, don’t become so obsessed in your efforts that you stress yourself out to the point that you’re not enjoying the success of each step that you accomplish with your life goals.

Finally, re-evaluate your goal setting plan often to ensure that your goals still fit your personal needs and overall life goals.