Setting Goals You Can Keep

The biggest challenge when you feel “stuck” is that you probably have too many options in front of you.

When people want to make changes in their lives, they often think too big when they should be thinking more granularly.

For example, someone who wants to lose weight might set the following goals

- Go to the gym
- Eat better
- Drink only water

Leaving aside that these goals aren’t specific at all, you can probably see that they are just too comprehensive and undefined to be of any help.

So, this person might go to the gym and set up a membership — but not know what kind of routine to get on.

This person might decide to have a salad for lunch — but not deal with the junk food that is still in the house and calling to them every night.

This person might drink water with all of their meals but get caught going for a drink after work — that becomes two or three drinks filled with empty calories.

Instead, achieving goals often means doing some pre-planning and creating small action steps that will become habits.

For example,

If you are tempted to hit the bar with coworkers or friends after work, decide instead that you will hit the gym after work (and tell your friends, and ask them to support you).

At the gym, decide that you will walk on the treadmill for an hour. (You can always find a new routine later.)

If you want to eat better, decide to toss the junk food from your house and not snack after your evening meal.

Small, granular steps like these help you to build sustainable habits. It is not necessary, in my opinion, to flesh every goal out as a SMART goal — but you do need concrete, actionable steps you will take each day.

If this resonates with you and you’d like to get some help moving forward with small steps toward your goals, get in touch with me. You can DM me, email me at jeremy AT jeremyhoover DOT com, or use the link in the comments below.

#goals #growth #personalgrowth

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