Setting and reaching your goals is a huge part of building the life you want and deserve!
Here are some tips to help you successfully reach your goals:
DECIDE what you want, specifically! When setting a goal, you should define the goal with a measurable figure. So, instead of saying “I want to start saving money,” decide “I want to save $5K over the next 3 months.” Instead of saying “I want to be more active,” decide “I want to go running 1 mile, 3 days a week.” It’s only possible to know whether you’re reaching your goals if they are measurable!
It is also important to set goals that challenge you, but are realistic. Saying “I want to save $50K in a month,” if you usually make $5-10k a month is just getting in your own way. Committing to saving $5k in 3 months with the same income is a reasonable place to start if saving is new for you!
ALSO IMPORTANT: We have all had that 3am burst of energy to get our shit together, and decide that next week we’ll do it all. We’ll start saving and investing, we’ll start working out and eating healthy, we’ll start cutting our cats nails every 2 weeks for sure. Resist the urge to change everything at once and overwhelm yourself! It is okay to prioritize one type of goal over the other.
BREAK DOWN what it will take to achieve your goal! The first step towards achieving a goal is understanding what steps you need to take to get there.
So- using the $5k example, you would break down how much per shift you’d need to save it in 3 months.
Using the running exercise, you want to decide exactly which days, times, and where you are going.
This is the process of considering- what do i need to do more or less of to get what I want? It could be working one more shift. It could be giving up going out for a month. It’s okay to do some breakdown and change your goals based on what you see!
CREATE ACCOUNTABILITY: Accountability helps keep us on track and allows us to enjoy the process of reaching our goals. The truth is that a lot of the things we set goals for require patience, hard work, and consistency- things that are hard, and require willpower.
Accountability helps us stay the course, especially when these things are new to us.
For working out, you can find a gym/running buddy, or post a sweaty selfie after your run!
For saving money, treat yourself to a pedi or dinner out once you hit your first $1k! It also helps to join online groups/forums and follow pages that align with what you’re trying to do.
Accountability can be as simple as doing a little dance each time you “do the thing.” You basically want to train your brain into knowing “this feeling is good!”
As time goes on and you ACHIEVE your goals, the knowledge that you can will become its own accountability. Yes I am aware this sounds cringey and very “picture of a sunset motivational poster,” but who cares? It works and sunsets are pretty.
ADJUST AS NECESSARY: Things happen! As you’re making progress, it’s okay to adjust your goals as needed, and it’s better to do this than give them up completely. The whole “shoot for the moon and you’ll land among the stars” thing really plays a part here.
If 3 months goes by, and you’d planned to save $5k but only save $3500- that’s still a huge accomplishment! This is also a good time to assess what got in the way of reaching the full goal, and seeing what you can adjust next time to set goals you reach!
REWARD YOURSELF: When you reach a goal you should be DAMN PROUD OF YOURSELF! HELL YEAH GO YOU! It’s a great idea to set up rewards, Pavlov style. When I’m working towards a financial goal, I usually set up 1-2 smaller rewards along the way, and a larger one for when I reach the end.
Pro Tip: When setting financial goals, make part of the $ you’re saving the money you use for your reward. Weeeee!
We hope these goal setting tips help you achieve the DREAMY life that you deserve!!