Setting goals for yourself or your business is something that we all do each and every year, but following through on them can sometimes feel overwhelming. If you are in this same boat, you may be wondering how to not give up on your goals and actually see them through.
Well, as a business owner myself (and in my personal life), I have gone through basically every stage of following through with my goals and have picked up a few things over the years.
So, if you are ready to take the leap and see things through, here are my top tips for how to not give up on your goals!
Tips for How to Not Give Up on Your Goals
A Fresh Start Can Look Like A Ton of Different Things
As we near the new year, there are always conversations about your goals and resolutions for the following year, and that is because most of us see the new year as a fresh start.
And it absolutely is, but it is not the only fresh start.
Most of us will view the new year as a new chapter in our book – once we make it there, we can set new goals and do all of the things we want to do. It’s like when we only want to start something new on a Monday or can only start working when the clock hits exactly 3:00.
It feels as if you have a clean slate, and you can put everything to the side and step into a new life to achieve whatever it is you want to do. However, it’s important to have a broader sense of what a fresh start actually looks like.
The Fresh Start Theory, by Katherine Milkman, Ph.D., explains this perfectly. This theory talks about how there are certain specific events or “temporal landmarks” that make us take a step back and evaluate things. These can be dates like anniversaries, birthdays, and other major events in our lives.
So, when you are thinking about your “fresh start” and what is going to be the starting point of this change or goal setting, be open and flexible.
Acknowledge when these important events in your life happen, take the opportunity to reevaluate your goals, and check in with yourself about how you are handling everything. This may look like setting goals quartlery, because those are easy ‘fresh starts’ or setting them around the holidays and your biz anniversary- but be open to fresh starts being all around you.
Endurance is Key to Your Success with Your Goals
Setting a goal is just the first step. You have to build endurance and keep working towards that goal constantly in order to succeed. Just like anything else, the more you exercise this muscle, the easier it is going to be to achieve your goals.
A great place to start here is to think about one of your greatest accomplishments that you feel really proud of. How did you get there? What steps did you take? How did you overcome any obstacles?
Acknowledge that you have already accomplished something difficult, and you can absolutely do it again. Not only will this help motivate you, but it will also put your brain in the right headspace to work toward your goal and continue to push through the hard times because you know how great the end result will be.
Write Down and Break Down Your Goals
Now, everyone is going to tell you to write down your goals. Putting pen to paper and writing out exactly what you want to accomplish can help keep you more accountable to yourself when it comes to achieving that goal.
However, I would suggest going one step further and breaking that goal down even more. Big goals come from small and consistent pieces of action, not just writing your main goal down in your ‘new year, new me’ journal and calling it a day. I would challenge you to set 3 big goals that you want to achieve in the next year.
Once you have those, break each of them down into three tasks that you can work on at a time. If your goal is to have $10k months, what three things can you start to do to build up to that?
Maybe it’s working on your marketing and being more consistent there with a certain amount of posts every week. Or maybe it is reevaluating your packages and processes and streamlining them to create a better client experience.
Whatever your goal is, find little steps and accomplishments that you can do to help build to that goal. Inaction is where most people will get stuck, so set small and attainable goals that will help keep you moving in the right direction.
Find an Accountability Partner
Accountability partners have been a major help for me personally as I have set goals in my life and my business. The key here is to find someone whom you already interact with consistently and whom you can make a consistent part of your day.
Accountability partners don’t need to feel like an added task to your day or extra work for you. It can be as simple as picking a quick message or an emoji that you can text each other each day when you accomplish your goal.
I have done this before, and it worked amazing and doesn’t have to feel like an added task to your day, but it keeps you on track.
Track Your Milestones
Be sure to track all of your milestones, regardless of how big or small they are. If your goal is to move your body every single day, celebrate when you made it a week, two weeks, or a month without missing a day.
While these things can sometimes seem small in comparison to your main goal, they are so important and can help keep you motivated to continue down the path that you are on.
Plus, it can help train you to be more positive about yourself and your accomplishments. We are often our own worst critic, so why not be our own best cheerleader? Acknowledge when you have accomplished something and then reward yourself.
Reward Yourself
There is a reason we let kids pick out of a toy chest or get a sticker or piece of candy when they do something good. Rewarding people reinforces that behavior and keeps them motivated to continue down that same path.
So, as you are working towards your goals and crossing off those smaller achievements, reward yourself. Maybe you take yourself out to a nice dinner or reward yourself with a day off every once in a while.
Every person is going to be motivated by different rewards, so find things that excite you and reward yourself with that. You can even choose these rewards beforehand and attach them to specific steps you have to take to motivate yourself.
Maybe the first small goal you accomplish means you go out to dinner, and as you work your way up the ladder, you can up the ante on your rewards. Once you hit your big goal, make sure you reward yourself in a big way. It takes a lot of work to get there, and you should absolutely celebrate that in a big way!
When You Have a Setback, Keep Moving Forward
Everyone is going to have setbacks and hit bumps in the road. That feeling is universal, but how we handle it is not. A major differentiator between those who achieve their goals and those who don’t is how we react to adversity.
Having a setback does not mean that we have failed or that we should give up on our goals. Instead, take this time to evaluate what happened. What caused the setback? Was it something you did that you can control, or was it caused by something uncontrollable? Is there anything you can do differently in the future to prevent this from happening again?
These setbacks shouldn’t be the end of your journey but a lesson that brings you down another path to your goal.
Don’t Play the Comparison Game
I know this is a hard one to do, but don’t play the comparison game. No one else is you, and everyone is on their own individual journey. Just because someone else achieved a goal before you doesn’t mean you can’t still do it or you are any less.
Instead, you can celebrate with that person that they have accomplished something and continue on towards your own goals. There is always going to be someone who is one step ahead of you, but just because they are there doesn’t mean you can’t be on that same level as well.
Always Keep Learning
Finally, always keep learning. There are always going to be new things that you can learn each and every day. Never wall yourself off or think that you know everything you need to know.
Find people who are in the position that you want to be with and look at what they are doing. Is there anything that they are doing that you could implement to help you reach your goals?
Are there any courses or people you can connect with that will help get you a leg up and check more of your goals off? Whatever you do, never stop seeking out that knowledge.
Final Thoughts on Not Giving Up on Your Goals
I hope these tips help you as you set your goals. Remember that it is not about doing everything perfectly all the time. It’s about taking one step at a time and constantly working to better yourself regardless of how many bumps there are in the road. If you are a creative and are looking for help achieving your goals, I am here for you. Click here to learn more about my mentorship and how I can help you as you set your sights on new goals!
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