What’s Your Why?

Goals Mentor

In goal setting, “your why,” refers to the relevance that the particular goal has in your life. Relevance is the R, in the SMART Goals method of goal setting. This part of setting a goal for yourself is crucial because it’s about ensuring that the goal is important to you. There’s little point in putting time and effort into a goal that truly doesn’t matter to you. Goals should drive us forward towards something significant. Relevance of the goal you are setting should also align well with your other life plans. Decide the relevance of a goal by answering a few questions pertaining to the goal and your current life. Questions like:

Does this goal seem worthwhile? Is the tradeoff of time and effort worth the result?

Does it align well with my other efforts and goals? Are other aspects of your life driving forward in the same direction?

Is this the right time for this goal? Does this goal fit in with your personal goals? Does it make sense financially?

Am I the right person for this goal? Is this goal attainable? Do I have the skills and ability for success in the goal?

Coming up with answers to these questions will help you determine the goal’s relevance in your life. Some of these questions are not necessarily straightforward, black and white. You will need to dig deep to answer some of these questions to find the real “why” of your desired goal, to know if it’s relevant enough to move forward.

An example of a goal relevant to one’s life might be for someone whose goal is to be promoted in their field, to take available online courses, to gain knowledge and experience of their desired position. This plan is worthwhile because it provides professional experience. They offer the courses online, so you can take them at a time convenient for the subject. Online courses are affordable, so most likely they will make financial sense. The online courses will ultimately propel the subject forward, toward an even bigger goal, the eventual promotion.

Relevance of a goal is an important part of goal setting. Deciding if a goal is relevant helps you match your goals to the rest of your life, helps you know if the goal matters to you, and if the time is the right time to achieve the goal. Sometimes, one must truly examine themselves and their life to determine relevance of a desired goal.

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Why Reaching For The Stars May Be A Bad Idea

Goals Mentor

The A, in SMART Goals, represents attainable. When setting goals, be sure to choose a goal that is attainable – your goals should be within reasonable reach for you. Although the goals you set should stretch you out of your comfort zone and excite you, your goals should remain within reach.  If a goal is impossible to achieve your efforts are futile. It becomes unproductive to put your time and energy toward a goal that will never come to fruition. You will end up losing motivation and feel like giving up if you aren’t able to succeed or celebrate your milestones along the way. Instead, be sure to set a goal that you can accomplish, this way you will keep focus and motivation, and have a chance of greater success. Along with your goal being unattainable, be sure that when you draft your goal, it’s written in a way that allows you responsibility for your goal. You should state your goals in a way that gives you control over the outcome. No one other than you should be the subject of your goal.

You should state attainable goals with success in mind. For example, let’s say you feel that you would benefit professionally from reading more books that pertain to your business. So, your goal might be, “I will read a business related book every night before bed for 20 minutes, with my goal to be to read one business book per month, for 6 months.” This goal is attainable because what you’re asking of yourself is reasonable and achievable. The goal also only involves one person, you, who follows through to ensure success.

Another way to assist attainable goals in being successful is through setting milestone goals. Milestone goals are small goals that you can set along the pathway to your goal. For example, in the instance above, a milestone goal could be to check in with yourself once a week. Checking in on your own accountability is a great way to stay on track. If you have followed through with your goal for the week, in this case, read your business book for 20 minutes every evening, you will know you are making progress toward your goal. As we already know, tracking or measuring your progress helps secure a greater success rate for your goal. Keep your goals challenging yet attainable and you will be on your way to being successful with your goals.

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How Are You Going To Measure Progress

Goals Mentor

Measuring your progress for the goals you’ve set is the second part of the SMART Goals method. After all, you won’t know if you’re making progress or gaining on your goal without a way to measure it. When progress is measurable, you can track how far you’ve come, keep focused and stay motivated by celebrating the small milestones you complete along the way. In order to facilitate assessing your progress, you’ll need a set of criteria for measurement of progress.

Similar to the Specific step used in SMART Goals, you will need to answer a few questions regarding your goal as a criterion for measuring progress data:

How many?

How much?

What is the indicator of progress?

How many or how much refers to progress as an indicator of what success for your specific goal looks like. The indicator of progress signifies the way in which you decide to track the progress you have made. This varies significantly depending on the goal. If it’s a business goal, maybe the indicator of progress is gross sales. Or it might be the number of pounds lost per week, if your goal is to get to a healthier weight. Tracking how far you’ve come within the goal is important because it will keep you focused on your ultimate goal. Motivation will be gained by ability to celebrate the milestones of the progress you have along the way.

Using the same goal as above, to lose 10 pounds by exercising more. More specifically stated, “I will go to the gym to work out for 45 minutes every day weekday morning before work, in order to lose 2 pounds per week.” Now not only is the goal specific and clearly stated, we have added the quantity of measurement for the goal, 2 pounds per week. In this case the indicator of measurement would be the scale. In the arena of business, an example might be, if the goal is, “I will build brand awareness through social media, to increase gross profits by 20% per month.” The quantity of measurement and the indictor is the profit increase in comparison to previous months.

Putting the SMART Goals method to use has proven to produce a higher success rate for goal achievement. Measuring your goals is an important part of this process. When you track your progress, you will have the ability to stay more motivated towards your goal and keep a stronger focus.

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How To Make Your Goals Specific

Goals Mentor

Specificity is crucial as it relates to mapping out the goals you set for yourself. Overly generalized goals will produce a lack of direction and ability to focus on what’s important. Goals that are too vague will end up setting you up for failure. For example, let’s say you want to drink more water per day. “I will drink more water every day,” is far too general. Lack of specificity will enable you to make excuses. The wording doesn’t hold you accountable; it is not enough of a detailed plan to follow through with. Instead, clarify the specifics. Answering some questions about your goal will pinpoint your intention and narrow down the specifics. You must answer what’s known as the “5 W’s” of basic information gathering; Who? What? When? Where? Why? Answering these five questions will help you develop specific clarity and motivation towards your goal. Answer these five questions to draft your goal:

Who will this goal involve?

What exactly do I want to accomplish?

When do I want to accomplish this goal?

Where will you achieve this goal?

Why is this goal important to me?

After filling in the blanks to the five information gathering questions, your goal will  look something like this: “I will drink 8 glasses of water every day – 2 glasses of water in the morning before breakfast, two glasses with lunch, two glasses after the gym and two glasses before bed to become healthier. This goal is specific and direct. It explicitly states what your expectations are for yourself and enables accountability.

Another example of a goal without detail and focus is “I will exercise more.” This goal is positive and relevant, however, it lacks specificity, and therefore it becomes a setup for failure. Answering the 5 w’s will provide the specifics you need to set meaningful, constructive goals that will give a higher rate of success in achievement. After answering these questions, you will end up drafting a goal that sounds more like this, “I will exercise at the gym for 45 minutes, every weekday morning, before I go to work.” This statement is a detailed plan for what, where, how and when you intend to follow through with your plan. Its details will ensure a higher goal success rate than that of the first, vaguer statement.

S stands for specific, in the acronym, SMART goals. Drafting specific goals is the first step in coming up with goals that stick and are successful.

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Why You Need To Set SMART Goals (what does SMART stand for)

Goals Mentor

We can define goals as objects of a person’s ambition or an aim at a desired result. Most of us have some goals set out for ourselves to improve our lives. We can relate your goals to personal or professional progress. Either way, without goals, there’s not much room for advancement and without the challenge of reaching a goal you’ve set for yourself, life would be stagnant.  But the process in which we set goals for ourselves matters.

Although, you are responsible for whether you follow through with the goals you’ve set for yourself, how you set them has a hand in determining how successful you’ll be in achieving them.

The term SMART Goals refers to a process in which you set your goals that will give you greater success. SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time Bound. The SMART goals method will help you with your organization, focus, and clarity with your goals. Research has shown that using the SMART goals method can save you time and simplify reaching your goals. SMART goals are easy to implement and can be used by anyone with the desire to improve their life by setting and achieving goals.

The SMART Goals method of goal setting works because it lays each step out for you.

The S stands for specific, meaning the goal needs to be clear and specific. When setting a goal for yourself, you must steer away from generalized statements. The more precise the goal is the better.

M is for measurable. Measurable goals refer to tracking your progress. Your goal will be easier met if you can assess progress along the way, giving you more motivation and focus on your ultimate ambition.

Next, A. The A is for attainable. Although your goals should help stretch you outside of your comfort zone and push you to the next level, it’s important that the goals you set remain achievable.

R, relevant goals are imperative to your success. This means that the goals you set should be important to you and aligns well with your life and other goals you have set.

Finally, T, for time bound. Your goals should have a deadline to achieve them. This will help keep you on track and focused and give you opportunities to celebrate your small wins along the way.

By implementing the SMART Goals system, you will gain the ability to achieve your goals, faster and with a higher success rate.

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7-Day Goal Setting email challenge

Goals Mentor

Join me for a 7-day email challenge to set your 2023 Goals starting January 1, 2023

I personally do not do resolutions. I do goals. I set long term goals, yearly goals, monthly goals, weekly goals and daily goals. They all support one another and allow me to make progress and adjust as needed.

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Three Unexpected Benefits of Camping

Mentor Self-Care

Are you a happy camper? Is camping something you recall doing as a child but haven’t managed to do as an adult? Do you pass RVs and trailers on the road and wonder where the drivers are headed and what adventures await them?

Camping is an excellent way to see new places, do new things, and meet new people. Camping narrows life down to a micro-focus and leaves many things behind for another day. Camping connects us with nature, like-minded people, centers us, and reconnects us with God or the universe as a whole.

There are easily recognizable benefits to camping. Getting away from the hustle and bustle of life, eating fun camping foods, and sitting around the fire and reconnecting. Each of these in and of itself are beautiful things, but there are some unexpected benefits to camping as well.

Take a look.

Camping:

  • Reminds you to slow down and get some fresh perspective
  • Helps you appreciate the small things and simplicities of life
  • Keeps you focused on the present and being connected with nature

Slow down and see what happens- The days leading up to a camping trip can be hectic. Organizing the equipment and provisions needed for the trip can be time consuming. Getting your workload handled for time off and being disconnected can feel like a lot of work. Setting up camp and unpacking may be a bit draining, but once the work is done and you begin to take in the atmosphere – the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes – everything changes. Everything seems to slow down, and perspective starts to change.

From sleeping under the stars to cooking breakfast over an open fire, the simplicity and beauty of it all can invigorate and excite you. Lazy days reading books, taking hikes, or chatting with family and friends feels better than it does back home. Over the course of the trip, new perspectives about what matters most tend to shift.

Toilet paper and clean water- Depending on the type of camping you do; you may have an unusual bathroom situation and may or may not have access to limitless clean water. Being forced to use less and make do helps you appreciate the small things. Camping creates a minimalist environment where creativity is key. From conserving water to cooking in creative ways, there are so many small details that come into play that change perspectives.

Wind in the trees and what’s that noise? – Camping is a delight for the senses. Bacon has never smelled as good as it does when camping. The sound of the wind in the trees and the sight of stars at night are magnified. Camping narrows your focus to what is happening in the moment and right in front of you. From heightened hearing, listening for animals both friend and foe, to seeing plants and flowers that aren’t typical in your area, camping keeps you connected with nature in a way you simply don’t do at home.

There are many joys that come with camping. Some obvious and some not so much. Camping can help reset your senses and reconnect you to those you love and the beauty all around you.

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Increase Your Mental Health by Going Outdoors

Healing Mentor

Depending on where you live, you may or may not spend much time outdoors. You may or may not have a lifestyle that is integrated with being outside, and you may or may not know the direct benefits that come from spending quality time in nature. Whether you are tuned-in entirely to the wonders that come from being out of the house or have no experience with outdoor activities – there is literally a world waiting for you.

Studies have shown the dramatic benefits that being outside has on physical and mental health. We are designed specifically to be rejuvenated and nourished by fresh air and the vitamins and minerals that come from being in the sun and among the elements. Our human bodies were designed with the expectation to be outside and operate better when outdoor activities are a common practice.

Let’s look at unexpected ways that going outside makes an impact on our bodies and mental health

Better Scenery- From a hike in the woods to walking the beach, being outside offers scenery that is breathtaking. Whether exploring your backyard and all of the wonders you have locally or traveling – domestic and foreign – there is unlimited opportunity to see the wonders of the world. Taking in the beauty of nature elevates your compassion, your self-esteem, your appreciation, and your understanding of a world bigger than yourself.

Better Bones- Vitamin D is found most readily in nature. Being in the sun daily from 5 to 15 minutes can increase the levels of Vitamin D in your body. When the sun is absorbed through the arms, hands, and face, Vitamin D works to develop stronger bones. Though long exposure to sun at peak times – usually 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. – can be damaging, responsible exposure to the sun is an important part of staying healthy and building stronger bones.

Better Mood- Light and dark work in tandem to create hormones that regulate mood. Being in the sun increases serotonin which supports energy, happiness, and mood during the day. Melatonin is produced at night which helps with restful and restorative sleep. Being in the sun regularly can prevent depression and increase energy levels. 

Better Skin- Some skin conditions like eczema and acne benefit from sunlight. The healing and drying properties that come from the sun can reduce the frequency and intensity of some skin conditions. 

Better Health- Being in nature generally requires movement. Whether hiking, biking, swimming, walking, running, or simply playing with your children, there are limitless ways to be outside. Being active – rain or shine – builds healthy muscles, and fresh air clears your mind and removes stress. The more you are outdoors, the more you are incorporating movement with your lifestyle and your overall health will improve. Being outdoors is one of the easiest ways to reduce stress, enjoy nature, and build a better body inside and out. Find new ways to enjoy being outside and discover a fresh new perspective and a renewed body.

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Goal Journaling – Free Download

Goals Journal

Struggling to accomplish your goals?

Learn how you can journal your goals for ultimate success

Download the free Goals Guide and Journal now

Dear Goal Setter,

Goals fuel your desire to reach your dreams. They give you the inspiration necessary to aim for the stars. Goals help you take control of your life. They help you focus on what’s most important. Goals can help you get better organized and work more efficiently. Goals help you be more self-confident and enthusiastic about what you’re doing.

Everyone needs to have goals they are working towards each day. If your daily actions are not working towards your goals then it’s time to make some changes. If you’re not getting what you want from life, chances are you are lacking in goals or are not actively working towards them every day.

In this free guided journal, you will learn how to document your goals and how you can benefit from documenting your progress every day.

Sign up now to receive your free “My Goals” journal to track your goals and progress towards them. Here’s what you’ll get:

 A guide on why setting and documenting your goals are so important and how you can best document them

10 Prompts to get you started documenting your goals and quotes to keep you motivated

Space to journal your goals and document your progress

Claim Your Free Access to the “My Goals” journal

Simply enter your name, email address and click ‘Sign Me Up!’ below to instantly receive your journal right away.

Your privacy is protected, and your email address will only be used by The Awakening Tulip to communicate with you about goals related subjects. You can cancel your subscription at any time.

If you are ready to start reaching your goals, then get signed up right now. Just enter your first name and email address above to get the journal now.

Download free Goals Journal

Here’s to Reaching Your Goals,

Kimberly Cornier – Spiritual Life Coach

Copyright © The Awakening Tulip. All Rights Reserved.

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