When I really let my daydreaming go, I envision a lot for my life.
I want a house near the ocean and a house in the mountains. I demand a job I am crazy about where I serve my community and a bigger purpose. I want to travel- everywhere- from the islands of Greece to the snowy peaks of the Andes. I want to share my passions for health & wellness. I want a garden that grows every fruit & vegetable on the spectrum and acts as my personal grocery store. I want a golden retriever puppy named Coogie. I want to have ample time to engage in my hobbies and have wine nights with my best girlfriends. I want to attend yoga festivals and mind body workshops and meditation retreats. I want to share my life with my best friend and raise hippy happy nature children who spend their days playing in the sunshine and getting roughed up in the dirt.
I want to live bold and I want to stay inspired and be inspiring.
Sounds like a lot right?
The visions we create for ourselves are not that unrealistic, but it seems we stop at doing the work because of self doubt (guilty) or we’re afraid of NOT achieving what we set out to accomplish (guilty again).
This is where having GOALS have become a critical part of my life. I used to be pro at writing and accomplishing them, excitedly creating the next list for the month or year. But lately, I’ve felt stagnation and dissatisfaction creeping into my life. Instead of blaming my jobs, relationships, lifestyle, or financial situation for my frustration, I accept complete and full responsibility for where I stand. What am I doing to change my situation?
I am getting back to goal setting.
Having goals keeps us motivated and encourages us to find focus. Goals help us discover a path, and more importantly keep on that path. And I have enough evidence to prove that they work.
So while I work on updating mine, here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way…
1.) Make goals SMART
S- Specific : break it down & keep it concise!
M- Measurable : Can you measure your goal? If not, how do you know if you’ve accomplished it?
A- use Affirmative language : Say what you WILL do, not what you WONT do.
R- Realistic Only you know what is realistic for you in this moment. Shoot for the moon, but don’t be floating in outer space!
T- time sensitive : Set a by-when by attaching a date to your goal. It will keep you accountable and on track.
2.) Share Them! Let your community, partner or mentor in on your goals. Goals can be challenging and support is crucial! You may even inspire others to create their own goals 🙂
3.) Keep them Visible: Write them out and post them in areas you frequent everyday. They are great visual reminders and can help keep you focused.
4.) Be ok with “Failure” – There are lessons to be learned! Failing allows you to re-evaluate what you’re working towards and how you can approach it differently. Failing may open up an opportunity that wasn’t there before. Remember that failing is better than fear and not trying at all.
I would LOVE to hear about your goals and visions. How do you stay motivated? What are you working towards? Aloha nui xo