It’s March… almost the end of the first quarter of the year. Are you on track to meet your goals?
This year I am using the 12 Week Year method of working toward my goals. My darling hubby is doing the same. It provides accountability.
Regardless of the method I use to help me achieve my goals, I – from time to time (hopefully not all the time) – slip up. To overcome a setback, I can try one of a few typical actions:
- Abandon the goal.
- Adjust the goal so I’m more likely to achieve it.
- Push harder than ever to achieve the darn thing!
You, of course might not want to keep things so simple. Instead, I’d like to suggest the following five ways to get you and your life back on track towards meeting your goals.
1. Reevaluate the reason you wanted to achieve your goal in the first place.
Think back to the moment you set your goal. Why did you want to achieve it? Is it a stepping stone to a larger goal? Was it to make yourself feel better? Was it for your children or your family?
Did you stop trying to achieve it because you hit a roadblock? A setback while in pursuit of your goal is common. It happens everyday. It is your response that makes the difference. One of my past mentors has a saying that you can always start a diet in the middle of a bag of potato chips.
2. Just start on something to gain traction… and then you can have momentum work for you.
A lot of the time getting started is the biggest hurdle. If exercise it your challenge. Make a baby step in the right direction. It might be putting on your workout clothes or parking further away in the grocery store. If you do a little baby step and repeat it daily, eventually that will become your new normal and you can take another baby step forward.
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. — Confucius
3. Schedule the positive habits/actions on your calendar and guard them religiously.
This requires discipline. Tell your family or a co-worker about your goal. It is easy to fall back into the routine. Replace a negative habit with a positive one. If it’s something you can schedule then do it.
4. Get an accountability partner. Share your goals with them and progress points.
Many times banding together with someone trying to achieve the same or similar goals makes the process much easier. Let them know what you are trying to achieve, why and tell them to keep your feet to the fire.
5. Write some positive affirmations with regards to your goal and review them multiple times each day.
With the help of the internet it is easy to find affirmation statements. Pinterest is a good place to look as well. You can write them yourself as well. Put them on a notecard and review them everyday. Make a vision board too.
Regardless of where you are in your journey to achieve your goals, every push in the right direction helps. I want you to achieve all that you can and more. If you need
“Go back?” he thought. “No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!” So up he got, and trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall, and his heart all of a patter and a pitter.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
