Goals are tough. Sometimes, the hardest part is identifying what kind of goals will get you from where you are to where you want to be. Other times, you know exactly what you want or need, but actually making it happen feels impossible.
Being goal-oriented is a key element of staying on a productive path. I write them down everywhere– in a notebook, on a post-it, in my phone, here on CreativeStay. Keeping track of them all and holding myself accountable tend to be my weak points. And when you fall off the goal-making bandwagon, it can be discouraging. I don’t know about you, but I tend to save up some of those drifting goals for an “NYE” occasion. You know, a big “fresh start” moment where you can assert the changes you’d like to make.
I’ve been thinking about this recently, especially as my NYE goals have waned, and realized something important: I have several of those moments every year. I treat NYE (Jan), Persian New Year (March), my birthday (April), and June (when I started my career) all as kickstarts and points of reflection for my goals.
Having such regular check-ins allows me the chance to sit down and look at my goals: creative, personal, financial, and whatever else. I see how I’m doing month-to-month, and am reminded of the things that I felt strongly about mere months ago. I also give myself the liberty to make changes. It’s okay if your priorities change. Life is full of ups and downs, and your goals should be adaptable to that.
When you need to reignite your motivation for certain goals, get a cup of coffee and sit down with your computer. Look at your goals and be honest with yourself about where you’re at; see if anything has changed. Adjust personal deadlines as need be, and then imagine how good it’s going to feel to have them done and accomplished. And every time you have one of these goal-sessions, follow them by acting on one thing from your list. Just one, as a reminder that you can do it. Because everything on that list? All things you can handle, no problem.
So if you’re looking for some motivation, I’d:
- Clear an hour out of your schedule and sit in front of your goals
- Change goals or their timing as you see fit; remember, staying realistic is really important. It keeps you accountable and maintains your goals as achievable items
- Be sure they excite you. If you try envisioning them as completed and don’t feel any bubbles of excitement, then you may need to rethink why they’re on your list at all
- Follow up this goal refresh with a single action item
Hopefully my thoughts on goal-setting translate into something you can work with. Remember: you’re a capable, creative being. You got this. I promise.
xo,
T
PS- If you’re looking for some help to get started, I recommend Get to Work Book, a stellar goal-setting notebook by Elise Cripe.
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