Goal Setting 101

Brainstorm both short-term and long-term goals.
It’s important to imagine your goals on a spectrum. What can be achieved within a month? What can be achieved within a year? Consider the steps that are necessary to achieve the goal and determine which category it fits into. Short-term goals are often the stepping stones to long-term goals, so consider how you would like to expand on the immediate ones and grow them into something even better.

Compile a list.
Your goals become concrete once they are written down. Whether you choose to document your goals on paper or online, make sure they are clear and concise. There are plenty of list apps you can download, but I’m typically a pen and paper kind of girl — there’s just something so satisfying about physically crossing something off your list! It may be necessary to include a few steps that must be completed before each goal can be accomplished. This helps you to approach the goal in an organized, step-by-step manner that allows you to celebrate small successes along the way.

Stay motivated and inspired.
It’s easy to lose sight of your goals or fall off the wagon when it get’s a little bumpy. Keep the goals fresh in your mind — put up post-it reminders, write them in your planner, make a vision board, or keep a journal to update on your progress. Tell your friends and family about your goals and talk about them. They will help you stay motivated and incorporating your goals into conversation will help keep them in your mind.

Reflect.
After you achieve a goal, reflect on the journey you took to get there. Did you go the easy route or the hard route? Could you have been more focused? Did you achieve it in a timely manner? Learn from your process and note how to be even better next time.