Crush Your Goals Like a Queen
The importance of goal setting cannot be overstated. Apart from the fact that it gives you a definite direction, it also engages your imagination and challenges you – setting goals that seem bigger than you is a way to test your boundaries and push yourself outside your comfort zone. You just never know what awesome feat you may achieve if you never try. Did you set goals at the beginning of the year? What has become of them? Are you on track to achieve what you said you would? If you did set goals, now is a good time to take stock of your progress so far. If you didn’t set any or if you have fallen by the wayside, don’t fret. We have some sure tips for you.
- Dream big
If you’re going to set goals, you may as well set big ones. Challenge yourself to do better than you did last year in one or more aspects of your life. If you run a business, aim to double your profit margin. If you ran two miles every day last year, how about trying for five this year? If you don’t make five, you’ll make three and a half, which is an improvement over two. It’s like they say: shoot for the stars; if you don’t make it, you’ll land on the moon (that is what they say, right?). Do something you’ve never done this year. Try something outside your comfort zone. Eat food from a different culture, go scuba diving or snorkeling or even bungee jumping. New experiences open up your mind and help you see the world differently. You never know what inspiration might come from there.
- Be SMART
Yes, we said to dream big, but you must dream smart too. You know what SMART goals are; let’s say it together now: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. A general “I’m going to be a better person this year” statement is good, but what’s better is specifying how exactly you intend to be a better person. Is it by listening more? Giving more? Being more present? Your goals should be measurable, achievable, realistic (don’t try to go from being a couch potato to climbing Everest all by yourself), and must have a time frame within which they will be achieved.
- Write them down
There’s something about putting things down in pen and ink. Or on your phone notes app. It concretizes things, takes it out of your head, makes more than just an idea or a fancy thought and transforms it into a real plan. It is easier to remember and to hold yourself to something written.
- Break them down
Big goals are less daunting easier to tackle if you take one step at a time. If, for example, your goal is to make a total of $100 million in profit by the end of the year, you can break it down into months or quarters. How much profit do you want to make each month or each quarter to meet this goal? If you want to make 20 new friends this year, set a number of new people to meet each week or each month to make it possible. Breaking goals into smaller tasks makes them easier to measure and adjust as necessary. Do something every day that takes you closer to where you want to be. Remember, little steps add up to make big ones.
- Monitor your progress
Set milestones and clear progress indicators for your goals. Keep a journal or diary to record your progress. Review your progress regularly; seeing how far you’ve come can motivate you to go the remaining mile.
- Cut yourself some slack
If you find that you aren’t meeting your expectations or things are not going as you planned, don’t beat yourself up. There is always room to improve or re-strategize. Don’t be so set in one direction that you don’t realize when it is time to turn back or time to take a detour.
- Reward yourself
Rewards can be incentive to achieving your goals faster. Put a prize at the finish line; give yourself something to look forward to. And when you reach your goal, pamper yourself (but don’t overindulge).
The second quarter of 2018 is your oyster, Superqueens. Let’s crush those goals!