You have decided it is time to buckle down and really focus on what you want to achieve in your life. That’s great! In order to really be able to focus, you need to create goals for yourself. But, you already knew that. What you might not have thought about is how to create good, actionable goals. These are the goals that you can be sure will leave you feeling that you have really accomplished something each time you check a new one off your list.
Checking goals off your list is a great feeling. However, to be sure that every goal you create is actually a good one for you, there is something to think about. Let’s have a look at the three questions you need to ask about every goal.
Is your goal about ONE thing?
Ask yourself this question. Really! Do it. Is this goal of yours focusing on just one thing, or is it a vague, lofty, broad goal that encompasses many smaller ones?
If your goal is too broad, you will have to trim it down into smaller goals, which also means you get to celebrate more successes!
When listing your goals on paper, you may have something that looks like: GOAL: I want to feel better.
Okay, that’s great. But, feeling better comes in lots of packages. Do you want to feel better spiritually, emotionally, physically, or in some other way altogether? Remember, one single goal is what you are after here.
So, be more specific. Maybe you wanted to be more healthy or maybe to lose some weight. If that is the case, rewrite the goal with more pointed terminology. Being more intentional in your phrasing could look like: GOAL: I want to lose some weight.
Great! That’s a single, specific goal.
Is your goal measurable?
How are you going to be sure that you hit your goal? Is this goal of yours something that you can actually track or measure to be sure it is achieved? What can you add to make it measurable? Let’s build on the previous example: GOAL: I want to lose some weight.
The problem here is “some.” How do you track or measure some? You could make a fairly simple change, and it would become measurable: GOAL: I want to lose 3% body fat.
With the right tools, this is totally a goal that you can easily track. Now, you have a specific, measurable goal!
Does your goal have a deadline?
It is also really, super important that your goal has a deadline. Otherwise, your goal could linger out in the universe forever. You need to add a sense of urgency by creating a specific time frame in which to accomplish your goal.
Let’s say, you first started thinking about this desire in the spring while really digging into self-care. As you were thinking, you realized there will be lots of great fresh fruits and veggies available at the farmer’s markets all summer. So, how about using that to your advantage: GOAL: I want to lose 3% body fat by the end of summer.
This could work, but getting even more specific would be even better. Try using a specific time or date: GOAL: I want to lose 3% body fat before September 1.
THERE! That is a really good, well-written goal for you!
The goal is: about one thing–losing weight.
Your goal is measurable–lose 3% body fat.
It has a specific deadline–September 1.
3 Questions To Answer About Your Goals
Having those specifics figured out and written down will help you to stay on track, while also keeping you accountable. You should ask yourself these three questions for every single goal you create. When working on goals that are about finances, time management, family life, or home improvement, keeping these questions in mind will be great to help you really focus on your objectives.
If you want even more tools to help you with goal setting, time management, or self-care, please be sure to subscribe to my FREE Resource Library, the Rose Gold Mine, to find worksheets and workbooks to help you live a life that you love. Everything there is designed to help working Mamas, from this working Mama!
If you are looking for tip on how to achieve your goals, you can find them in this article.
