If I could give you a peek into my life you would see lists everywhere. Grocery lists, to-do lists, brain-dump lists, you name it… there is probably a list for it. Because I am such a planner by nature, these lists help me feel some sense of order in my life. After goal planning as a mama for the last 6 years I have tried just about every method out there to set and achieve my goals. This blog is dedicated to the takeaways I have discovered from those different methods as well as give you a little insight as to how I do things now!
The Why
I think it is important that before we set goals we define the why. The reasoning behind a goal is an amazing reminder as to why you are working hard to achieve something.
For example:
The goal may be to exercise 4x a week, but the why may be to take care of your body and to be an example to your children of what that looks like.
Another example would be the goal to save $500 a month and the why behind the goal is to save enough to pay off a debt or save for a family vacation. The “why” is your core motivation to continue pushing for that goal when the going gets tough.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew
Goals need to be realistic. When setting goals I try to push myself just a tad past my comfort zone but not too far out that the goal is not attainable. I also love to set my goals quarterly so that I can stay focused and measure my progress more frequently than 12-month goals. Those 12-week goals can all work toward 1 big year long goal too. Be gracious to yourself during this process. If you don’t attain a goal in exactly 12 weeks that is totally okay! Make a plan, work the plan, and then if the plan doesn’t work… make another plan.
Make a Plan
After defining the goal and your why, it's time to take action steps toward achieving that goal. Having a laid out plan with a timeframe toward your goal will help you stay on track for those goals that won’t happen overnight.
For example:
One of my goals for this quarter is to declutter my house. Sounds like a great goal right? The why being that I want our home to be a place of rest and it is currently a place of overwhelm.
The action plan for this goal is to tackle one area of the house a week in the 12-week period. The big picture goal “declutter the house” can seem overwhelming. But, when I break it up into action steps, “declutter the bathroom” seems a lot more attainable at this moment. Bonus... If you are a person like me who is motivated by crossing things off lists, this method is super satisfying during the action plan process.
Staying on Track
Using a 12-week method is a great way to stay on track with your goals. The thought of a 12-month plan can be daunting. After the 12 weeks is up, take week 13 to reassess, set new goals, or revisit ones that didn’t quite happen.
This way of setting goals has been a game changer for me to stay motivated and not feel overwhelmed by all of the things I would like to do and achieve. I love keeping track of my goals with the HJ Goal Setting Guide where I can print out and write out and see my goals and action plans all in one place. You can snag one HERE in the Hello Jude Store.
Hello Jude Photography is a North Georgia Newborn Photographer specializing in luxury family, maternity, newborn, and baby photography. I believe in the beauty of simplicity and the value of tangible heirlooms that you can pass down from generation to generation.
Bailey serves clients in the North Georgia region including Habersham County, Hall County, White County and beyond. Our natural light studio is located in Clarkesville, Georgia.
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