Tia’s declassified goal-setting survival guide
Setting goals can be hard and sticking to them can be even harder. Follow this guide to make reaching your goals easier than ever!
Goals are important in every aspect of life. They help us to be more productive and work towards our bigger dreams. Everyone has countless goals for themselves, but how often are they actually achieved? The truth of the matter is that nothing gets accomplished without active effort. As self-explanatory as that may sound, the main reason many goals go unachieved is because we don’t actively work towards them. It’s easy to tell ourselves that we are going to complete something, but putting your mind to it and going through the hardships is where reaching your goals can get difficult.
These tips will help you set realistic goals and stay on track to achieve them:
Tip #1 : Decide on your goal
The key to reaching your goals lies in the beginning—choosing something that is realistic and attainable. If you want to achieve something big, set multiple smaller goals that will help you work towards your ambition. Be specific about what you want to accomplish and break your goal down into steps that you can easily follow (more on this in Tip #2). Vague goals are hard to keep track of, there is no way to observe clear progress if there is no clear end.
Pro tip: Create steps that build off the previous ones.
Tip #2: Make a timeline
Decide on which milestones you want to reach and set specific time goals alongside them. Keep these deadlines realistic and give yourself enough time to complete each step. On the contrary, don’t make things too easy by making time limits longer than they need to be. This process makes it easy to keep yourself on track and make consistent progress. Deadlines act as motivation to keep you working towards your end goal.
Tip #3: Get in the right mindset
The only thing stopping you from reaching your goals is yourself. Yes, that is probably the most cliché motivational quote out there; nevertheless, it’s true. Some situations lie out of your control, and obstacles will appear out of nowhere, but if you put your mind to it, none of that will stop you. Getting in the right mindset is the harder aspect of goal setting, as it is easy to get in your own head.
Tip #4: Take action
Put your steps and timeline to the test and go achieve something! After taking the time to prepare and plan, all that’s left to do is put it into play. Remember: the only way to make positive changes in your life is by putting consistent effort into your strides for change. Big or small, each achievement helps you work towards the best version of yourself.
Tip #5: Set reminders
Set constant reminders that keep you thinking about your end goal. Your phone’s reminder app is a great tool and should be used to your advantage. Use physical objects to help you remember smaller tasks that are easy to forget. If your goal is to drink three litres of water a day, put water bottles in every room of your home.
Bonus tip: Write your goal down on a piece of paper and hang it up in places you frequently see.
Tip #6 : Reward yourself
Using a rewards system helps to keep you motivated and continue working towards the goals at hand. Grab a coffee from a fancy café, watch your favourite movie, or get pizza delivered for dinner. You deserve to treat yourself.
Remember, the best way to treat your future self is by putting in effort today, so don’t hold back from working on yourself! Small accomplishments are still progress, so don’t get discouraged. As Karen Lamb once said, “a year from now you may wish you had started today.”
Associate Opinion Editor (Volume 50) —Tia is a third-year student completing a double major in Anthropology and Sociology. She uses The Medium as an outlet to do some creative writing that can't be expressed through the countless academic papers she writes during the semester. When she's not writing for the opinion section, you can find Tia getting gains in the gym, working at the campus pool, or volunteering with UTM ECSpeRT!