Setting goals and benchmarks that genuinely motivate you—enabling you to pursue what you care about instead of what you think you “should” be doing to make someone else happy—is vital for achieving success.
Follow the process below; once you master it, you can apply it to any scenario for a lifetime of achievements—no exaggeration.
Utilize the THREE Principles of Creating Sustainable Change (TM) to establish goals that will truly inspire you. Explore how they function through the examples provided, and then select what resonates with you to craft your unstoppable plan!
- Ask yourself: What is the smallest, simplest step I can take next? Start by practicing that. Breaking large goals into smaller, manageable steps is essential for building momentum and confidence. By concentrating on the smallest, easiest action, you can alleviate overwhelm and enhance the chances of taking action.
Examples:
- Student: Instead of “study for the big exam,” begin with “review one page of notes for 5 minutes.”
- Parent: Rather than “organize the entire house,” kick off with “declutter one kitchen drawer.”
- Teacher: Instead of “revamp the entire curriculum,” start with “brainstorm three new lesson ideas.”
- Leader: Rather than “improve team communication,” initiate with “have a 5-minute check-in with one team member.”
- Student: Instead of “write a research paper,” start with “create an outline for the introduction.”
- Parent: Rather than “establish a new family routine,” begin with “implement one new habit at dinnertime.”
2. Combine new activities with those you naturally do. Link what you need to practice with what you already enjoy. By merging new habits or tasks with established routines, you harness the power of habit stacking, making it simpler to add new behaviors to your life.
Examples:
- Student: Practice vocabulary while brushing your teeth in the morning.
- Parent: Listen to educational podcasts during your daily commute.
- Teacher: Integrate mindfulness exercises at the beginning of each class.
- Leader: Conduct walking meetings to merge exercise with work discussions.
- Student: Review math formulas while waiting for the school bus.
- Parent: Practice active listening skills during family movie nights.
3. Align your goals with your personal values and interests, and understand why these goals matter to you. Having a clear vision of what achieving these goals means to you will enhance their significance in the broader context.
When your goals resonate with your core values and long-term vision, you are more likely to remain motivated and dedicated to reaching them.
Examples:
- Student: Relate improving grades to the aspiration of attending a dream college and pursuing a future career.
- Parent: Connect establishing a regular family dinner routine to strengthening family ties and creating cherished memories.
- Teacher: Link professional development goals to the desire to positively affect students’ lives and advance education.
- Leader: Associate team-building initiatives with the vision of fostering a more inclusive and innovative workplace culture.
- Student: Align volunteering goals with personal values centered on community service and social responsibility.
- Parent: Relate learning a new skill (e.g., cooking) to the goal of promoting healthier family lifestyles.
By implementing these three strategies and personalizing them to your situation, you’ll be well on your way to setting and achieving truly inspiring goals.
The key is to start small, build upon existing habits, and connect your goals to your personal values and long-term vision. This method will assist you in overcoming executive function challenges and forging a sustainable path to success!
Yours in the journey,
Cara
