Fall Goal Setting
As we reach the last few months of the year, it’s easy to give up and to make plans for how we will do better in 2017. However, three months is still plenty of time to make progress on the goals that we may have struggled with throughout the year.
Just like with most things in life, the key to following through with goals is momentum. Once you have some momentum things become less of a chore and in fact are often fulfilling.
A few weeks ago I was listening to Jenny Blake’s Pivot podcast and her guest mentioned that venture capitalists and investors will almost always choose to back the business that has momentum over the one that is currently stalling but has experienced more success.
Rather than looking at the end of 2016 and January of 2017 as two distinct periods of life with separate goals, we should look at the next few months as the training ground that will propel us and provide the momentum to move into 2017 with ease.
One of the reasons why setting goals in January can seem so daunting is because we often find ourselves starting from zero. For example, last year I set a goal of doing yoga 5 days a week. The goal itself is not necessarily bad, however, at the time my yoga routine ranged from non-existent to doing it 1 or 2 days a week. There was zero consistency and as a result I often found myself feeling discouraged that I couldn’t meet my goal.
Partway through the year I decided to change my goal and focus on consistency rather than quantity. Therefore, doing yoga 1-2 days a week EVERY week became more important to me than doing yoga 5 days a week one week and not at all the next week.
Once we infuse some consistency into our lives we gradually build the habits that we need to maintain momentum.
Here are a few simple ways to end the year well and to create the momentum that will propel you into 2017.
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Set easy and attainable goals
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Focus on consistency over quality
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Find someone to hold you accountable (email, phone, or in person)
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Remind yourself ‘why’ this goal is important to you
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If you miss a day, don’t let it discourage you from moving forward
What do you think about Fall Goal Setting? Any tips or strategies?
Photo Via: Helene In Between
