Practical tools for achieving goals

It is natural to have goals, infact it would be worrying if you did not have goals. At the beginning of the year majority of us are excited about our goals. We share them online or share them in our private conversations with those close to us. How often to do you go back and look at list and put yourself to task and check how far you are doing? What feelings accompany that task of checking your resolutions. How frequently do you check your progress? Does anyone else hold you to task? Sometimes the task is daunting because there is a realization that you have dropped the ball and that can bring a sense of failure or disappointment.

Sheryl Sandberg in her book titled “Lean In” talks about the illusion of having it all. The material wealth, the relationships and the success. She says it is not possible and i agree with her but in the same breath though you cannot have it all in terms of achieving your goals there are tools that can help you track your progress so you can set more realistic and achievable goals.So here’s how you can get started :

Set practical goals

I have been a plus size girl for as long as i can remember. I would love to shed a few kilos and i have a lot of options available to me. I could go to the gym, join Herbal Life or pop some pills and lose weight quickly. These are all options and somewhere out there someone has made their choice however it would be in my best interest to choose something practical ie walking thrice a week for 3- 5km. This is practical because i can do it in the morning before i go to work or on weekends only. If you are a busy Mom you can always look for other ladies to join you so you can be a support for each other. You can get a helper to help attend to the kids while you take some time out to focus on your health or start walking with the kids. That is always more fun.

Create a support structure 

Any award winning Musician or Leader always gives credit to their team. The truth is without a team or a support structure you cannot be as successful in any of your goals that you set for yourself. It is important to determine which goals you can achieve on your own and which ones will you need support with. This does not necessarily mean someone else will partake in your activities physically but there could be a certain task you can give them or delegate to them so that you can focus on what you need to do. Sometimes i call my brother to help me and pick up certain things from my clients homes so i can have time to do other errands in the day.The Joburg/Harare lifestyle can be so hectic that at times you start your Saturday morning at  with tasks and you find yourself only putting your foot down only at 8pm or 9pm. That alone is not healthy so the best way is to create a village of your cheerleaders who want what is best for you and can chi in when you need them most to achieve your goals. There’s no shame in asking for help.

Short Term vs Long Terms Goals

I started writing my first book in the first year i had resigned from my formal employment. In the beginning i could write hours on end everyday but as soon as i returned to Joburg i realized i had little time to focus on completing my book. I did dedicate a few hours everyday but i was stretching myself thin. So writing a book cannot be a short term goal unless you can manage to lock yourself up in a room and escape your normal everyday life, then it is possible. However to manage my time and my lifestyle i realized that my book belonged in the long term basket. That was a relief for me. From the get go have your short term basket and your long term basket. Some initiatives or goals need time, research and observation as well as faith. So you also relieve yourself from a lot of pressure by putting everything in one basket and expecting yourself to achieve these goals in one year. Remember short-term goals are SMART and they’re specific,measurable,  realistic and time-bound.

Important vs Urgent

Have you ever noticed everything as far as our lifestyles and careers is due today if not yesterday. I found a good quick to be effective. What is urgent and needs to be done now and as soon as possible? I also looked at what was important but not urgent. I put that in the “park” basket. So your park basket is definitely not the “to be forgotten” basket. These goals need to be done and they are important so again you can go back to your support structure and have  a friend hold you accountable for what is important so they can remind you to come back to it.

Goals can evolve

Goals evolve all the time so be flexible as well in your goal setting and go back to the drawing board when you should to assess how you can alter, change or re-direct your goals. If you are inflexible you will put too much pressure on yourself and you may fail to see and seize an opportunity because you are bent on doing things your way and the way you see them. Your support structure or team may see things differently from you . Have an open mind and be open to their ideas. If they have your interests at heart, it means thy are in your corner and want whats best for you.

Circle of influence

Whenever you set your goals remember there are things that are within your control. At all times, it is important for you to stay in your “circle of influence”that is, things you have influence over. Do not spend your time in your “circle of concern” — that is, things that concern you but you have no control over.

So there’s literally 3 months before 2016 comes to an end. These tools are practical and you can assess your goals right now and continue on your path or you can finish off what you have started and use these tips in 2017. Have fun!! Remember it is a journey and the most important thing to remember is to be honest with yourself and where you are now and learn as well as unlearn any habits that are standing in your way of success. Define your own pathway according to your lifestyle. You can do it!!