Summer Is Coming… Start Kicking Goals Now!
Well, it’s that time of year again when we all have the best intentions to make this summer better than the last, to finish all those things we started during the year, to lose that weight, clean the shed we can’t see the back of, tell your family you love them more often, stop smoking, start exercising, catch up with old friends..… and so the list goes on. But, hey… didn’t you make the same promises to yourself last summer?
Each season, year, week, day, new or full moon brings with it an opportunity to start afresh. We give ourselves a line in the sand as a way or giving ourselves a mental ‘starting block’. However, we need more than a line in the sand and personal promises to make those positive intentions last and those changes really happen.
The first thing we need to do is set a goal and this is where many get stuck. Often our goals are unrealistic, fluffy, what someone else wants for us more than we want, too broad or badly timed. It is important that your goal is SMART – specific, measurable, achievable/authentic, realistic and timely. ‘I want to drop two holes on my belt by 1st April’ is much smarter than ‘I want to lose weight’. ‘I am going to spend 2 hours each Saturday afternoon cleaning out my shed for the next 4 weeks to make space for the family’s bikes’ sounds a lot more workable and less daunting than ‘I’ve gotta get that shed cleaned out!’. So when you are setting a goal take time to write it down and make it SMART. Goals written down regularly are 42% more likely to be successful than those than remain in our head.
To help you stick to your goal it is very helpful to have someone be your ‘goal buddy’. To set a goal for yourself and not tell anyone about it is like setting up a plan with a quick exit strategy just in case the going gets tough. If you don’t stick to your goal you are only letting yourself down and that doesn’t seem as bad if no-one knows about it. A private fail is not as painful as a fail that others can see. So, write down your goal and stick it up somewhere you can see to keep it at the front of your mind. Find someone who you can share your goal with and ask them to support you in achieving it. Believe it or not, people do want to help you. This may be a partner, friend or coach. All they may need to do is regularly ask you how you are going or encourage you to stick to your plan, or they may choose to support you more specifically by walking with you to help you get fitter.
Break your goal down into achievable chunks to give yourself a path to follow towards your goal. This helps you identify where you are now in regards to your gaol and where you are going. Small successes along the way help motivate you to want to achieve your goal even more. If you hit a road block along the way and find that you are not able to move any closer to your goal, change your strategy. It’s OK, and sensible, to change the way you are doing things if they are no longer working for you. If you try going to the gym to lose weight but realise you don’t like exercising indoors and start avoiding the gym, try bushwalking with friends or going for a bike ride. As long as you keep the goal in sight it doesn’t matter which strategy you use to get there as long as it is working. No matter how motivated and strict you are with your actions, if you keep sabotaging your success it’s time to get a coach on board. A coach can help you work through unconscious blocks that you may not have identified are holding you back. Better to get some good help rather than repeating the same unhelpful mistakes over and over again. You do really want this goal, right?
One of the final and more fun aspects of goal setting is often one that is left out – celebrating success! If you have achieved your goal you deserve to reward yourself! I wouldn’t suggest celebrating with an indulgent dinner if you have just hit your target weight, but maybe something along the lines of going for a pedicure, buying a new shirt, or simply sharing the news with friends. There’s nothing like praise and admiration from others to boost your confidence.
Once you have achieved you goal don’t be shy in wanting to stretch your goal further or set a new goal all together. It’s a great habit to get into and a wonderful way to demonstrate to yourself what you are capable of and how much you have achieved. The secret of getting ahead is getting started. So, get started and get ready to achieve because you are worthy of a wonderful and happy life.
Fiona Brown
Certified Practice Coach
Youtopia Life Coaching
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