What is your ideal future? What qualities do you admire in other people? What would you like to learn more about? What habits or tendencies do you have that you’d like to change?
Say, for example, your broad idea was that you want to help people. In defining that further, you decided that helping people, to you, means providing for the needy and underprivileged. With that information, you decide that your goal is to volunteer at a local soup kitchen this year. Your broad idea may also have been to become a better baseball player this year. In narrowing that idea down, you’ve decided that a higher batting average would make you a better baseball player. You then specifically state that your goal is to raise your batting average to . 350 this season.
Let’s stick with the baseball player example. In addition to improving your athletic performance, you’ve also set a goal to improve your grades this semester. Now you have two goals, and may not be able to give equal focus to both. When considering these goals, you realize that if you don’t improve your grades, you’ll have trouble getting into college and also you won’t be allowed to play baseball anymore. In this situation, improving your grades takes priority over improving your batting average. Focus more time on school and only work on your batting average if there’s time. Alternatively, you could prioritize goals by increasing difficulty. That way, you can tackle small goals first to boost your confidence level for larger ones. If your goals are to run a marathon, eat better, and read more often, ask yourself which of those is the easiest. Probably you’ll decide that either eating better or reading more is more attainable. Put this goal first, then save marathon training for when you’ve taken care of smaller goals.
If your goal is to run a marathon, for example, but you’ve been out of shape for years, this goal may be a little too high to start off with. Not only will you get frustrated by the difficulty of this, but you could also hurt yourself if you don’t start smaller. Instead, begin by running shorter races like a 5K. That way, you’ll gradually get into better shape and can eventually work up to a marathon.
Figures from history or fiction can be dangerous influences for your goals. If you feel insecure that you can’t match the academic prowess of Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series, for example, remember that she’s a fictional character. She is able to do what she does because the author wrote it that way. You, however, are bound by reality, and will probably end up frustrated if you try to copy fictional characters. Instead, take influences from real people who have achieved what you strive for.
For example, if your goal is to lose 20 pounds, keep a log of your weight loss. If you see that you’ve lost 10 pounds over the last 2 months, you can see that you’re well on your way to achieving that goal. Also if your goal is to increase your weight lifting limit by 50%, keep careful track of your improvements. As you see your limit gradually rise, you’ll be able to keep up the motivation to work out hard and complete your goal.
Losing weight, for example, is a specific goal that requires several different actions to complete. You’ll have to maintain a good diet, exercise regularly, and avoid junk foods. By breaking your goal into these smaller actions, you can focus on each one individually and more effectively reach your overall goal. You goal also may have been to improve as a basketball player. Break this up into sub-goals like improving your free throws, increasing your endurance, and working on your defense.
Sticking with the weight loss, for example, you’ll have to commit to dieting and exercising. Try planning out your meals every week with healthy ingredients. Also, commit to spending at least three days a week exercising. This way, you’ve focused on two sub-goals that will lead to the realization of your overall goal. Remember that the sub-goals for becoming a better basketball player were improving your free throws, increasing your endurance, and working on your defense. Plan that you will spend two days a week on each specific skill, and you’ll be able to improve as a player in no time.
If you want to lose 20 pounds total, commit to losing 2 pounds per week. That way, you’ll be able to see your progress as it happens, which will motivate you to keep working on your final goal.
Say your goal is to cut down on your alcohol intake. You know that your friends will probably pressure you to drink when you’re around them, which represents an obstacle to your goal. To plan for this, start by letting your friends know that your goal is to drink less and ask them not to offer you drinks. Make a commitment to yourself that if they don’t stop pressuring you, you’ll remove yourself from the situation.
