How to set good goals and achieve them.

Setting goals. 

I am relatively new to setting goals, you might remember last year I was using the 100 day happiness planner and it definitely gave me some enlightenment and I achieved some things that I had been putting off for ages. With a new year around the corner I am setting my goals and thinking of the things I want to achieve next year. 

I don’t like new years resolutions, I don’t think you should have to wait until January to start bettering your self. However in saying that, there is a sense of optimism that a new year brings. Closing the door on the past year and being optimistic for the future. 

I am going to share with you my top tips that I have learned for setting goals. 

Reflection. 

This is the hard part, you need to reflect on the things that you want from life. The things that bring you joy and also the things that annoy. Write them all down. Spend some time thinking about all of the things you wanted to achieve but have been putting off and the things that you want to remove from your life that bring you unhappiness. 

It is really nice to sit down and take stock of your life. This gives me a sense of control, like I am control of my life and I am not just plodding my way through it. 

” If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someones else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? not much!” – Jim Rohn. 

I seen this phrase whilst scrolling through my regular Pinterest binge and it really made me stop and think. Nothing is going to happen in my life unless I take the actions and make it happen. 

A penny dropped. 

Don’t be afraid to dream. 

I find the question “where do you see yourself in 5 years?” such an awkward one to answer. It was a question I left blank in my last journal. Why? because I was afraid, afraid to write down my dreams for fear someone might see them and laugh. 

I now realise how ridiculous this sounds but maybe you feel the same. It is terrifying to think about the future. All the what if’s creep in. What if I don’t achieve it? who cares? their your dreams and goals and at least you tried to achieve them instead of staying the same and unhappy. 

Get out of that comfort zone. 

The magic happens when you do things out of the comfort zone. Now, it is terrifying but why not take small steps.  For me an example of this was starting a Youtube channel for my blog. This terrified me as it was a new platform, the video is up their forever etc etc, but I knew if I wanted to grow my blog and make it more of a success I would have to get out of my comfort zone. 

Another example for this could be travel? you might really want to see a certain part of the world but you are too afraid. Why not push yourself and book that flight. 

The more you practise this the more it will get easier I promise. 

The benefits outweigh the initial anxiety. 

Be realistic. 

This is something I have really learned this year. Even though it is great to dream and set goals we also need to look at them and see if they are realistically achieved. 

Break down the goal, so for example.

 “I want to be the next So Sue Me and be a blogging empire in the next year” 

Is this realistic?

Nope! That woman worked her ass off to build up her empire and it took a lot longer than a year!

So Instead, I can make a more realistic goal and say.

“I will grow my following by 10k next year and write x amount of quality blog posts and get better at photography.”

That is a more realistic goal for me to achieve in the next year. 

The same could be said for someone with a goal for weight loss. 

” I want to lose 40 lbs in the next year”

Yes this goal can be achieved but it is a big one and life likes to throw in some curveballs so why not break it down. 

“I would like to lose 20 lbs next year and drop two dress sizes.” 

That way you are not going to be disheartened when you only lose 20lbs and not the 40lbs, Heck you done amazing and you lost 20 lbs. 

Take action. 

Its amazing setting goals, but thats all they are going to be unless you write down how you are going to achieve them and take the actions to achieve them. 

So my goal is to grow my blog readership and following. 

How am I going to do that then?

So here are example of the actions. 

  • Write five quality blog posts each month with quality imagery. 
  • Allocate time for interacting and engaging with readers. 
  • Minimum two youtube videos per month.
  • keep learning and developing photography skills. 
  • Try new blog topics. 
  • Engage with other bloggers and collaborate with content. 

The list of actions can be endless but write it all down and pic the ones that you can realistically do each month to get you closer to your over all goal. 

Another one of my goals is to be happy. 

Now this is a pretty vague goal and I am not going to magically wake up truly happy unless I set myself some actions to achieve my goal. 

For this you can write down what makes you happy and then list the tasks you can do each month to bring you joy. 

Check in on your goals each month and don’t beat yourself up. 

Reflect and check in with your goals. That weight loss goal slipped off the wagon? don’t beat yourself up over it. Sit down and break the task down and ask yourself “what one task can I do in the next month to get closer to my goal “.

I am working on letting go and not being a perfectionist. So I have been practising changing my thinking. So instead of beating myself up over only writing two blog posts, instead I say ” well its two more than none and you done well to write them considering how busy you were”. 

Its not about making excuses either, It is very easy to come up with excuses for not doing things but don’t be so hard on yourself and stop and reflect on what you have achieved so far. 

What are you waiting for?

For years I contemplated writing a blog. Like I was waiting on some magical fairy to come and tell me I could. I honestly don’t know why I waited so long to start one. It was the same this year for me when I really wanted to start Youtube. I was making excuses, ” I need quality lighting and set up etc etc, excuse after excuse and then I stopped and said “why”? Just do it and who cares about the quality for now, you can learn and develop it and at least you started.

Look at me know, I am 5 videos in and I am delighted I started it, whereas I could still be sitting here making excuses and waiting on that fairy to come and tell me to do it. 

Over Christmas while I have some down time I am going to reflect and write down my new goals that I want to achieve for the next year. My overall main goal in life is to be truly happy. I am going to reflect on the main areas in my life such as work, home life, hobbies and my blog. 

I am going to really dissect each section of my life and see what makes me happy and what doesn’t and from that make the actions I need to achieve my over all goal. 

“Happiness is not something ready made. it comes from your own actions” – Dalai Lama

To write down my goals and reflect on them I use the Happiness planner that I was kinda gifted from farfetchedaccessories.ie and I will be using the 52 week dated one for 2017.
To get 10% off your paler is the code Dainty10 at the checkout. *discount valid until 11th of December. 

I hope you found this post useful and I hope you find it easier to set yourself some goals that will really make a difference to your well being and happiness. 

What is something you want to achieve in 2017. 

Lets have the chats below. 

Thanks for reading. 

Catherine.

** This is NOT a sponsored post. 

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4 Comments

  1. Tara Faulkner
    December 10, 2016 / 7:10 pm

    Love your outlook and how the happiness planner has such a positive effect on you xxx

  2. Catherine Carton
    December 11, 2016 / 7:16 am

    Thanks so much for reading Tara x

  3. Áine McGovern
    December 15, 2016 / 1:27 pm

    This is great, I need to get better at breaking down my goals to make them more achievable. One day I will own a happiness planner, they look like a great way to help break everything down. Honestly Aine

  4. Catherine Carton
    December 15, 2016 / 5:10 pm

    Thanks for reading Aine x I have found my own really helpful. I used a 100 day one and Iv got a full year one for next year x excited to see what I can achieve next year.

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