How To Set Goals And Achieve Them (Four Things That Help Me)
Usually, when we set goals, we do so to see them through to completion. But sometimes, that doesn’t happen. This can be due to several reasons, such as losing motivation, life circumstances, or just deciding that the goal isn’t that important.
I’ve experienced all of these, but usually, at some point, I find myself back at square one, wanting to accomplish the same goal again. So the cycle continues: Set a goal, start strong, lose motivation, and give up. I eventually got tired of giving up on my goals, so I made a plan of action to help me stay on track. Please keep reading to find out what I did.
How To Set Goals And Achieve Them (Four Things That Help Me)
Set Goals With A “Why” In Mind
When I set goals these days, I know the why behind them. For instance, in my article “Four Things I Do To Read The Bible More Consistently," I stated that before I could read the Bible consistently, I had to decide and understand why I wanted to read it in the first place.
It couldn’t be because I was supposed to, but I would read it to learn more about whom I follow as a Christian: Jesus. Having a why gave me the motivation to keep showing up and reading.
So for you, the goal could be: “I want to lose 10 pounds”, and the why could be: “Because I want to have more energy to play with my kids.” Envisioning yourself with more energy playing with your kids will hopefully motivate you to stick to your workouts and meal plan.
Believe In Yourself And Think Positively
There is power in positive thinking and believing in yourself. I’m learning to become my biggest hype woman. When I find myself slacking off on the goals I set for myself or beginning to feel defeated, I try to quickly reframe my mindset and tell myself I can do it. I try not to delay taking action on what I need to do based on my goals.
If I have a workout planned and I start feeling unmotivated, I’ll get up and go to my home gym, put on my shoes, and start moving my body. This is usually enough to get me started and helps me stay committed to my fitness goals.
Write A Pros And Cons List
The next time you feel like you want to give up on your goals, sit down with your journal and write a pros and cons list. On the one hand, write down all the pros of sticking to your goals. If we stick with the example above, some pros of losing 10 pounds could be more energy, lower blood pressure, and clothes fitting better.
On the other side, write the cons of giving up on your goal, which could be continuing to feel tired all the time, staying on a yo-yo diet cycle, and getting unhealthy test results from your doctor. Once you create your pros and cons list, refer back to it whenever you feel like giving up on your goal.
Ask God For Help With Your Goals
God cares about every area of our lives, even the goals we want to achieve. When you feel weary, ask God for strength and motivation to stick to your goals. I believe He is willing and able to help. I hope this has encouraged you to stick to your goals and given you ideas for what to do when you’re about to give up!
