Ready to level up in work, fitness, and personal goals? Small changes, big results – did you know it takes just 21 days to reshape habits? Dive into the psychology of goal-setting and discover how progress fuels a fulfilling life. Get practical tips for setting and achieving realistic goals, and find out how to stay consistent. Break barriers, find positive reinforcement, and visualize success. Change your life, one habit at a time. Ready to start your journey? Read on for actionable insights!
Sometimes, a small change can transform your entire life. For you, that ‘one’ thing might be swapping regular Coke for Diet Coke. Or, extending your cardio session by an extra ten minutes. Sounds challenging? Well, if you consider that it only takes 21 days to create a new habit and two months to permanently rewire your brain, it’s not that hard!
But, it all starts with a goal… and, since the New Year’s almost upon us, what time is better to set new goals than now?
A wise person once said: if you don’t know where you’re going, you’re not likely to get there. And these aren’t just pretty words; there’s an actual psychological theory to back them up.
Edward Locke and Gary Latham, who are the leaders in goal-setting theory, discovered that setting goals creates behaviours that positively affect our life plans and give us the energy boost needed to stay consistent.
Also, without setting goals, you’re unable to achieve progress – however you define it – staying fit, gaining a promotion, etc.
The number one rule while setting your goals is to make sure that they are achievable. Here’s how.
Say it’s your ambition to do a proper push-up, but you can’t currently hold a plank position for longer than 10 seconds. Without a strong core, back, and arms, it’s very unlikely you’ll be able to complete even a single rep. And that would likely annoy and discourage you entirely. What you should do instead is break your goal into stages, like:
These smaller steps aren’t overwhelming, and will ultimately get you where you want to be.
Do you know what’s one of the biggest motivation killers? Trying to achieve too many goals at a time. You might want to go to the gym 4 times a week, meditate every day, cook fresh, healthy meals, and get at least 8 hours of sleep per day. That’s a bit much.
It’s good to be ambitious, but don’t overdo it. Otherwise, you might get so stressed about the idea of not being able to deliver on one of your goals, that you will completely give up on the remaining ones. Start with one – and focus all your energy on fully achieving it. After all, it’s better to crush one goal, than set five and fail miserably, right?
You’ve likely heard the phrase – ‘picture or it didn’t happen’. When it comes to setting goals, there is a similar rule at play – ‘put it in writing’ or consider it as if it never happened, and most probably never will.
Creating a list of goals that you’d like to achieve will help you stay organised and keep yourself accountable for fulfilling them. Just remember to pick a deadline. It will be easier to fight procrastination and prioritise.
Sometimes things get out of control, for example, you might get ill and you’ll have to put your fitness or career progress on hold. That’s perfectly fine. You need to allow for some flexibility while setting your goals. Maybe it’s just a matter of adjusting your schedule; instead of aiming to lose 5kg by May, you can extend it until September.
People change, and as we do, our goals should follow. That’s why we encourage you to regularly revisit your list to check which goals still fit your life plans and which don’t.
Sometimes, working towards a goal isn’t about achieving your dreams. It might be a completely rational move, like mastering a skill that could skyrocket your career. And while you don’t have to love every minute of working on your objective, you can’t hate every second of it either.
According to Dr Sheri Jacobson, some of us might set goals we’re against deep down due to ‘confused values’. She recommends looking “for any thoughts that involve the word ‘should’”, as it’s often a sign you’re doing something others would like you to do, instead of what feels right for you.
Just because your closest friends enjoy surfing doesn’t mean you have to grind your teeth and become good at it, too. Maybe you’re more of a hiker and want to start climbing mountains instead?
In times of weakness, it’s great to remind yourself of why you set the goal in the first place. Say you’re cutting out excessive carbs from your diet because you’re suffering from insulin resistance. Eating healthy will help you handle low blood sugar episodes and, overall, live a more fulfilling life. A goal that addresses your actual needs and struggles will feel more attainable and keep you on track.
So, what can you do to stay consistent in achieving your goals, and not give up on your routine? Here are a few tried and tested tips that you can borrow.
Have you noticed that people (especially guys) often go to the gym in pairs? That’s because it’s great to have an accountability buddy. Not only will they give you a helping hand (literally) when you’re stuck on a bench press, but also keep you motivated and consistent.
It’s way more difficult to skip a workout when you know your gym buddy is waiting for you, right? And when your ambition to continue making progress suddenly evaporates, they can give you a well-deserved pep talk.
Having an accountability partner is a great way to stay consistent irrespective of what you’re trying to achieve. This can be anyone from your network who is willing to invest in your relationship. People who have similar goals as you make the best accountability buddies, keep that in mind.
If you want to stick to your routine, you need to spot and eliminate any barriers. Think about all the things that are stopping you from achieving your goals. Maybe you often fail to complete your leg workout because you run out of time. You go at peak hours, all the fitness machines you want to use are taken, and standing in line is not an option.
In this case, the crowd is your barrier – what you can do is either go to the gym early in the morning or later at night. You can also decide to do a home workout instead.
As soon as you remove the obstacles that prevent you from continuing your routine, achieving your goals will become a lot easier, and more pleasant.
You know that famous meme, where a man searching for diamonds retreats from digging further, unaware that he’s just one hit away from getting to the gems? The poor man fell victim to what’s known as a motivational plateau.
You feel like you’re putting in all that hard work but you’re not progressing. In reality, it’s just an illusion, and you’ve likely just lost your beginner’s drive. How do you overcome this tricky stage?
One way is to look back at where you’ve started. For example, if you’re learning Spanish, go back to the first pages of your notebook. Not so long ago, you could only use the present tense, and now you know five past tenses alone. I’d call that progress, wouldn’t you?
Self-awareness and focus are two allies of staying consistent in your goals. Visualise yourself at the end of your journey – write down what it will feel like and what value it will bring into your life.
Also, consider meditating for at least a few minutes each day. There are hundreds of great mindfulness podcasts and apps you can choose from to learn how.
Both of these techniques will come in handy if you encounter any issues along the way. They’ll help you handle any unexpected situations better and adjust your goals – after all, life’s unpredictable.
Building new habits might be overwhelming at first, but it gets easier over time – after all, it only takes 3 weeks to turn it into regularity.
Once you’ve decided what it is that you want to achieve in the future, put it in writing. Better yet, keep tracking your progress so you have a record of how far you’ve gone in your journey.
Focus on one goal at a time, and make sure it’s something achievable. And don’t be too harsh on yourself if it takes you a little longer to reach your target.
If you haven’t written down your goals for 2024 yet, now’s the perfect time!
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