Have You Given Up Already? Goal Setting Part 2: How to Set Goals Like a Pro

In part 1 I outlined the theory and science behind goal setting, habits, behavioural change and manifestation.  In part 2, we will go through step-by-step how I would recommend setting goals that you will smash this year.

To begin:

• Spend some time alone, in a quiet comfortable location with a pen & paper or journal.
• Dream big and ask yourself: what do you want? How will you feel when you have it? How will this version of you act?  What will they do differently?  What does their day look like?  Visualise and try to bring these thoughts and feelings into your reality (this is manifesting).
• Pick three things from your manifestation to focus upon specifically
• From here, consider setting SMART goals – make your goal as specific as possible? When would you like to achieve it? Is that realistic?  What would be more realistic?  Is it achievable?
• When you have defined your goals start to break each area of focus down into an action plan; exactly what do you need to do to achieve these goals?
• From here, break this down further and identify what you need to work on for the first three months.
• Continue to work on breaking the goals down even further to a monthly, then weekly, then daily action plan.
• If you feel you can manage deeper work at this time, take some time in meditation to peel back the layers of what you really want and why. Keep delving deeper into why you want this.  Think of your values, purpose or dharma.  You may come up with a sankalpa, or it may require more self-reflection.  Consider a positive phrase to summarise your sankalpa.
• If it resonates with you, consider manifesting your goals daily. This can be done by re-reading your journal entries, visualisation practices, developing affirmations to encompass the manifestations or making a vision board that you look at frequently.  Think about how you will overcome obstacles and keep momentum going.
• Monitor and tweak your action plans frequently

An Example

You wish is to lose weight, be healthier and have more energy.  

To begin, start with manifestation – how does this version of yourself feel?  What do they eat? How often do they exercise?  What do they wear?  What do they think?  Does anybody in the public eye embody this version of you?  How will you stay motivated?  How will you change your habits?  You may want to write this down or create a vision board.

Then, we get serious.  Specifically, how much weight do you want to lose?  How long will it take?  Is this realistic?  When you have decided this, you need to then devise an action plan of how you are going to achieve it.  Then, start to break this down into your quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily goals.

For example:

I will lose 6kg in 6 months (1kg/month – realistic & achievable for most, maybe not for my over 40 perimenopausal ladies, but that’s a different blog).  What will help you to achieve that goal?  

Goal:  To lose 6kg in 6months (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely)

Action plan:

• 200kcal/day deficit – to monitor on an app on my mobile phone
• Limit high calorie foods in the house
• Aim to stop eating after my evening meal
• Resistance training 3 x /week – Mon/Wed/Fri – to find an app to help with this
• 2 swimming sessions per week
• 1 yoga session per week to improve stress levels

Brake this down further:

Quarterly goals

• Lose 3kg in 3 months; 1kg per month
• Download an exercise app to help with resistance training & make a start
• Pick a leisure club with a pool I like and look at cost and a timetable that fits my lifestyle
• Pick an app I like to monitor calorie intake
• Aim to plan meals in advance

Then break this down even further into monthly goals:

Month 1:

• Lose 1kg
• Aim to start swimming
• Download a calorie counting app and start to track my dietary intake
• Download an app for resistance training and make a start
• Try a yoga class
• Try planning meals a few days a week

Then break it down even further into weekly goals:

Week 1:

• Visit 2 leisure clubs and decide on where I’d like to swim
• Download a calorie counting app
• Plan meals in advance for 3 days this week

Week 2:

• 1 swimming session this week
• Aim to complete calorie counting app every day this week
• Download resistance training app
• Plan meals in advance for 4 days this week

Week 3:

• 1 swimming session this week
• Continue calorie counting
• 1 resistance training session this week
• Try a yoga class or online yoga class
• Plan meals in advance for 5 days this week

Week 4:

• 1 swimming session this week
• Continue calorie counting
• Aim 2 resistance training sessions this week
• Try another yoga class
• Plan all meals in advance this week

From here, daily goals can also be set.

Continue to manifest

Regularly remind yourself of your end goal; your “manifestations” of what you’d like to achieve.  This can be a vision board, re-reading your journal entries, visualisation practices or affirmations that you have designed to repeat to yourself.

Habit changes

 Think about what habits you need to break and set in order to achieve your goals and check-in with your habits regularly. Re-read the information in part 1 on habits.  Consider what you need to change and how you can change it.  Make it easy for yourself: simple tweaks to your environment, such as having your swimming kit ready the night before or removing high calories foods from the home can help you break old habits and form new habits

Monitor

Review and tweak your action plans frequently.  Do not design the plan to fail; if you are not adhering to the plan you have set, break the actions down even further into smaller, more achievable goals.

In conclusion, there is no right or wrong way to set and achieve goals.  The scientific and spiritual evidence can give us guidance, but it’s important to identify what resonates with you the most.  What seems to be most effective is to be specific, have a plan, make it easy for yourself and work with visualisation/energy to help you to succeed.

Namaste

Emma x