Before setting new goals, begin by reflecting on your past accomplishments. Reflection will help you see what you have accomplished, allow you to discover some things that are no longer important, and motivate you to reprioritize the important things in life.
These 5 tips will set you up for success in setting new goals. So grab your favorite journal, pen and paper, (or an online journal), a cup of tea, and sit in your favorite spot where you can be undisturbed for an hour or so.
1. Review the past year.
- Have you set any goals in the past?
- If so, how did you do with your goals?
- Did you make progress? Or did you set them aside for other goals?
- Are you setting the same goals again and again?
- Write all this down in your journal because it helps you reflect more deeply.
- What were the biggest things you learned this year?
- Did you find that some things work better for you than others?
Even if you didn’t get to the ‘finish line’ this year, remember: there are no failures, only lessons.
2. Use lessons learned to set new goals.
Review your answers to the reflection questions. Does anything stand out?
What was your biggest obstacle?
No time? No energy? More pressing things to do?
We know our lives would be better and healthier if we take exercise and healthy eating seriously. We know our relationships would be better if we took time to spend time with our loved ones without the distraction of devices. The list goes on BUT, there is a better strategy to reach your goals.
It’s good to know that it doesn’t always take a major lifestyle shift to reach your goals. In fact, making big changes quickly is more likely to result in reverting back to your prior status in a relatively short period of time.
Making small shifts like standing at your desk as opposed to sitting is a perfect way to make a small healthy change. Every little bit helps.
A few small course corrections will help you get to your destination a lot faster and without the stress.
You either succeed in reaching your goal … or you learn!
3. Gratitude.
Now that you’ve reflected on your past experience with setting goals, you’re ready to explore the power of gratitude.
If this step is challenging, begin with zooming out to look at the bigger picture. Get some fresh air, take a walk, sit quietly for 5 minutes, take slow deep breaths to clear your mind. Then write your answers to the following questions:
- What are you grateful for from the past year?
- What are you MOST proud of?
- What went well, what didn’t?
- What are you biggest lessons from last year?
Journal and reflect for 5 or 10 minutes.
Once that’s done, it’s time to set some new goals for this year!
It’s the JOURNEY – the daily actions you take – where the true success lives.
4. Discover what you REALLY want.
Most people are interested in improving their health with a healthy diet and lifestyle. We all know the simple steps we can take toward becoming healthy. Things like “eat a better diet”, “exercise more”.
But, do we take consistent action? What is preventing you from making progress?
True health is more than the absence of disease! For example, vague symptoms tend to fall lower on the “to-do” list as we wade our way through taking care of others, adjusting to changing relationships, and seeking to find work-life balance.
Before we know it, those nagging symptoms capture our attention. It is often only then we seek to change our habits.
Your body gives signals that something is not right – but how often do you ignore those signals – until they fully and undeniably capture your attention.
If your vague symptoms do not meet the criteria for a particular disease, you may be given lifestyle recommendations. These recommendations often fall by the wayside as the symptoms become accepted and integrated into everyday life.
You might think, “I’m tired and weary, but I just don’t have time to deal with this right now!”
Yet, this is the very time when the lifestyle recommendations can give you the most benefit, preventing the onset of disease.
What comes to mind when thinking about your health? What would it be like to feel vibrantly healthy, filled with energy and enthusiasm?
Challenge: An event that requires great effort and determination, tests strength, skill, or ability.
Think of the vital energy you’ll have when you finally:
- Get better rest
- Improve your digestion
- Detoxify your life
- Navigate metabolic challenges with ease
- Experience clarity of mind
- Manage competing priorities effectively
Be generous with yourself. Take time for YOU. Remember, every little bit counts.
To begin, write down your goals. This single strategy will instantly make you 42% more likely to accomplish your goals!
5. Pick your top 3 goals, then ask yourself these questions:
- Why is this so important to me?
- What do I need to do DIFFERENTLY next year in order to achieve this goal?
- Who do I need to BECOME in order to reach this goal?
- What new habits / disciplines / behaviors do I need to start?
- What unhealthy habits do I need to STOP?
- What weekly action steps to make this happen?
THIS IS KEY: In order to course correct, only small shifts done over time are necessary.
Taking the time to reflect and set your intentions and goals will increase your chances of staying on course for reaching those important goals.
Next Steps
Pure Healthy Solutions is here to help you get crystal clear on your goals and help you create a road map to get there. A goal is only one step in the path to transformation. You need a strategy to reach your goal too.
A survey sent to a few clients showed that almost all tried to find solutions to their health problems with an internet search. The limitation of that strategy is that it’s a one-sided conversation and provides an overwhelming volume of information.
Information overload can lead to PROCRASTINATION and can sabotage the very best intentions. You don’t need more information, you need a guide at your side providing a personalized plan AND accountability to get to your goal.
To successfully reach your goal, you have to choose a path to get from HERE to where you want to be. Having someone who’s walked the path to be a guide at your side, can lift you up when you want to quit, show you the pitfalls to avoid, and cheer you on to your goal. That’s exactly what we strive to do at Pure Healthy Solutions.
Start somewhere. If not now, when?
Today is the best day to start. A goal without a plan is just a wish.
If you’ve been in a cycle of start-stop, 3 steps forward then finding yourself back at the starting point, I get it. Life gets in the way, stress becomes a way of life along with sleepless nights, overwhelming fatigue, and lack of confidence that you can make new habits stick.
You’re taking the first step by writing your goals down. The next action you can take is sharing your goals selectively.
Let me know your goals and challenges by completing the 5 minute (or less) – no name or email required.
You control your future…by recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be.
Mark Victor Hanson
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