How to set goals and actually stick to them

We’ve all been there. That burst of excitement when you make a life change, then that sense of defeat when you find yourself back at square one.

Whether it’s eating healthier, exercising more or learning a new skill, a lifestyle change can lead to fantastic outcomes. But, as you probably know, getting there can take a little discipline.

That’s where goals come in.

Setting goals is important because they can give you something to focus on, help improve your motivation and enable you to reflect on how well you’re doing.

The flipside: If you don’t set goals, you often won’t achieve the changes you’d like to see in your health or life.

Setting a goal is the easy part. It’s sticking to it that’s a little trickier, especially as time stretches on.

One of the biggest mistakes people tend to make is setting goals that are unrealistic. On top of that, people sometimes set goals that are impossible to achieve, which can lead to a sense of hopelessness and increase the likelihood of giving up.

This might, for example, mean starting an exercise journey that’s too intensive, or trying to learn a new instrument with the expectation that you’ll be playing like a pro in weeks, only to burn out and quit when you don’t.

This is why it can help to approach goal-setting with a little strategy.

A good place to start when setting a goal is to ask yourself if it’s a short-term or long-term goal.

Your long-term goals should reflect where you’d like to see yourself in the future. This could mean reaching your ideal weight (which might take some months to achieve), or playing 'Stairway to Heaven' on the guitar (which may take years!).

Short-term goals, then, are the building blocks that can help you achieve the long-term ones. They should reflect simple and achievable steps that you can take now to move closer towards reaching your long-term goals.

For instance, if your goal is to run 5km 3 times a week, it’s wise to work up to that in smaller increments. Or, if your long-term goal is to play guitar like a pro, your short-term goal should be to practise every day.

It also helps to consider what other short-term goals might assist the longer-term ones, like adding more protein into your diet if you’re exercising more.

To help you set manageable goals that you can actually achieve, you might consider these 5 tips:

• Set goals that are meaningful to you. Sticking to life-altering goals is challenging, so it’s important to ensure that you’re doing them for the right reason, and that they’re truly important to you.
• Create goals that are SMART. That is, ‘specific’, ‘measurable’, ‘achievable’, ‘realistic’ and ‘timely’. Before you commit to a long-term goal, ask yourself each of these. If you find the goal isn’t achievable, for instance, you might rethink it.
• Prepare strategies to overcome barriers that may get in the way of achieving your goals. For example, you may ask yourself how you’ll break through a ‘wall’ (becoming demotivated) when you start exercising, or what you might do if you notice healthy eating habits slipping away.
• Reflect on your progress regularly. This is a good strategy to help overcome barriers, as it can keep you accountable to yourself. Remember, it’s not the end of the world if you’re not hitting your short-term goals as effectively as you want. Think about your long-term goals then get back on the horse!
• Celebrate your achievements. Tell your friends or loved ones what you’re up to and keep them posted when you hit any significant milestones. Their excitement might just be the thing that pushes you towards your next achievement!