{"id":14147,"date":"2017-07-21T17:59:24","date_gmt":"2017-07-21T12:29:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yourdost.com\/blog\/?p=14147"},"modified":"2017-08-04T14:11:59","modified_gmt":"2017-08-04T08:41:59","slug":"how-to-achieve-your-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yourdost.com\/blog\/2017\/07\/how-to-achieve-your-goals.html","title":{"rendered":"A Counsellor Explains How to Achieve Your Goals The “Write” Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you struggling to stick to your goals beyond just a few days of setting them? Are you beating yourself up about it and saying – \u201cMaybe I just don\u2019t have it in me!\u201d? Here\u2019s the thing, you\u2019re not alone.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a counsellor, I often get repeat clients who come back for sessions only to confess that they haven\u2019t been able to follow through with their goals. Here\u2019re verbatim responses from one of my clients at different points in time:<\/span><\/p>\n

After the first session :<\/span><\/p>\n

I would do that. No point of procrastination now. This has to be done<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Two months later: <\/span><\/p>\n

I messed up…my self-confidence is an all-time low… Maybe I am lazy…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Often, in such cases, I advise my clients to maintain a <\/span>journal<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n

A journal can be effective for a <\/span>variety of applications<\/span><\/a>, but here we\u2019ll \u00a0just focus on one – <\/span>goal management<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Goal<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Steps in Goal Management <\/b><\/h2>\n

1. Problem Identification<\/b><\/h3>\n

As the famous American Inventor, Charles Kettering puts it <\/span><\/p>\n

A problem well stated is a problem half-solved<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Often, however, we\u2019re too worn out to be able to <\/span>identify<\/b> the exact problem that\u2019s troubling us. <\/span><\/p>\n

A good problem statement has three key parts, the current state, the goal state and the list of obstacles. Example: <\/span><\/p>\n

I am living an unhealthy lifestyle. I need to work out<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here the current state is the unhealthy lifestyle, the goal state is good health and the obstacle is the lack of exercise. <\/span><\/p>\n

Once ready, <\/span>the problem statement is the first thing you should document in your journal<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Goal Setting<\/b><\/h3>\n

Goals need to be <\/span>SMART<\/span><\/a> (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). \u00a0Continuing with the above example, one can <\/span>set a SMART goal as:<\/span><\/p>\n

I will go to the gym for 30 minutes in the morning, 5 days a week from tomorrow<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Put the goal statement down in your journal.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Tracking <\/b><\/h3>\n

If you have to go from Point A to Point B, there is only one way to find out if you will succeed \u2013 by <\/span>tracking<\/b> your progress regularly. <\/span><\/p>\n

Convert the goal statement into one or more simple Yes\/No questions and then track the responses periodically. <\/span><\/p>\n

In the above example, someone who wants to focus on serious bodybuilding may define the goal questions as:<\/span><\/p>\n

Did I workout my Legs today? (Target 1\/week),<\/span><\/p>\n

Did I workout my Chest today? (Target 1\/week),<\/span><\/p>\n

Did I workout my Back and Abs today? (Target 1\/week), etc.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

On the other hand, if someone wants to simply de-stress the goal question could be: <\/span><\/p>\n

Did I exercise for 30 minutes today? (Target 5\/week)<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Put the goal question\/s down in your journal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Note:<\/b> Depending on your level of comfort, you could maintain a record in a diary, mark on a calendar or use a spreadsheet on your computer. There are quite a few <\/span>smartphone apps<\/span><\/a> which are quite good for journaling. If your goals are fitness specific, there are some cool <\/span>wearables<\/span><\/a> available in the market.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Goal<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4. Remediation <\/b><\/h3>\n

When you keep track of your progress, your journal becomes a rich repository of data or information. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Data should lead to insights, which in turn should lead to action. For example:<\/span><\/p>\n

Data: <\/span><\/p>\n

I worked out on Monday, but missed it on Tuesday and Wednesday<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Insight: <\/span><\/p>\n

I have already exhausted the 2 days of rest in my 5-day-a-week plan<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Action: <\/span><\/p>\n

From Thursday to Sunday, I have to work out every day to meet my goal<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The corrective action that one takes to get back on track to achieve a goal is called <\/span>remediation<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Make a note of the remediation plan in your journal for ready reference.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Recalibration<\/b><\/h3>\n

Goals are not written in stone. You can <\/span>recalibrate <\/b>them. Constant failure on goals can indicate that they\u2019re too high. On the contrary, if they\u2019re too easy to achieve, they will not be fulfilling. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, suppose you want to add another worthwhile goal, eg., learning to play a guitar, to your routine. You may need to take time off from your other goals. eg., replacing serious bodybuilding with basic fitness. It\u2019s perfectly fine to make these personal choices and adjust goals accordingly.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, ensure that you put down the rationale for these changes in your journal.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Rewards <\/b><\/h3>\n

You need to stay motivated to achieve your goals of your own volition. <\/span><\/p>\n

Reward<\/b> yourself for reaching the milestones. Finished the first month of your workout successfully? Go buy yourself a three scoop ice-cream or a chilled can of beer! <\/span><\/p>\n

If you overindulged, as long as you remember to burn those extra calories, you can skip journaling it \u263a \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Reward<\/a><\/p>\n

Why is Journaling Effective? <\/b><\/h2>\n

Journaling for goal management helps us in making a commitment to ourselves. It helps us stay focused and motivated. It is a mirror of our learning and progress through the milestones we define for ourselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Want more tips, tricks and tools on better goal management? Want to become the best version of yourselves? Talk to an Expert at YourDOST<\/a> today for personalised guidance.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Are you struggling to stick to your goals beyond just a few days of setting them? Are you beating yourself up about it and saying – \u201cMaybe I just don\u2019t have it in me!\u201d? Here\u2019s the thing, you\u2019re not alone. As a counsellor, I often get repeat clients who come back for sessions only to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,71],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-self-growth","category-time-management"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yourdost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yourdost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yourdost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yourdost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yourdost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14147"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/yourdost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14147\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yourdost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yourdost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yourdost.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}