Spring has sprung, the birds are singing, flowers are blooming and we can finally pack away our winter woolies. When a new season is upon us -not only does it bring about a change in the weather but it brings about a change in your journey of life. They do say that Spring is the season of new beginnings and where you feel alive again. What better way to welcome the season of spring – by setting new personal goals.

These goals can be personal goals , career goals, life goals or just goals in general. The main thing to remember about goals is not about whether you actually achieve them or not, but about what you learn on the road to achieving them. There of many of us that just live for today and don’t think about tomorrow ,but the reality is ,we all need some sort of focus and structure in our lives. There are short term and long term goals, we have to meet the short term goals in order to equip ourselves for the long term ones. Life can present us with many obstacles and unexpected curveballs which through setting goals can soften the blow and give us a bigger picture to work towards. Here are a few tips to consider in how to set your own goals:

Reflection

In this modern day rat race, we rarely take “Me Time”, a time to reflect on the days activities, life in general and the whole purpose of “Why we are here on earth”. Take some time each week for yourself with no distractions of people and technology – Just you, a pen and paper and your dreams. The amazing thing that we have been given as humans is the ability to dream and let our imagination run wide with thoughts, dreams and aspirations. To look deep into our souls and our hearts and let our dreams run free. Have you sat down and thought about where you are in life and where you want to be? When last did you take time to truly reflect, to listen to your deepest thoughts, to listen to your hearts desires, to see what dreams live within you? Think about what you are passionate about, what makes you get up every morning, what thoughts and dreams send adrenaline through your body and make your heart beat faster? When you can answer these questions – you are officially in dreamland – a place where you are in your own little bubble experiencing those magical thoughts. No dreams are too silly or too big!

Writing down your goals

The only way to set goals is to think about where you are right now, what you want and what you will have to do in order to achieve your goals. Think about the bigger picture and take a few minutes and write down a few things that you would like to achieve in order for the bigger picture to materialize (both long term and short term).. Once you have a picture in your mind of what you want to achieve its easier to break these down into long term goals, further broken it down into short terms goals and further broken down into daily tasks that will keep you on track in achieving your goals. Always remember to write down goals that YOU want to achieve, not goals that others want you to achieve. When last did you sit down and reflect on your values and what you really want in life?

SMART

A useful method in setting goals is using the SMART methodology.

• Specific

Set specific goals that are precise, no need for waffling on – get straight to the point. Ambiguous goals lead to ambiguous results

• Measurable

Break your goals down into something that can be measured in terms of physical means or units making it easier to reach

• Attainable

Many people set goals that are not reasonable and are way too outlandish which can be detrimental to ones ego and confidence. There is no harm in having big dreams but it is important to ensure that you are physically able to reach these goals.

• Relevant

Are you goals relevant to you? Do you actually want to travel the world? The main question to ask yourself is,”why do you want to reach this goal?” What is the objective behind the goal, and will this goal really achieve what you want?

• Timely

Every goal should have a deadline attached to it. Ensure that the timeline is realistic and flexible, to ensure that you stay motivated to reach your goals. When your deadlines are unrealistic, this will lead you to panic and rush – which will result in making the journey of goal achievement something you dread rather than an enjoyable learning process.

Staying on Course

 Once you are happy and set on your list of goals, review and update your daily “To Do List” to keep you on track and remind you of what you have to do in order to achieve your goals. We all get side tracked and fixated upon our daily routines but make your daily mission to check your “To Do List”. Occasionally look at your long and short term goals and modify them accordingly to reflect your changing priorities.

Achieving your goals

 Well done you made it!!! Once you have achieved your goal(s) take a moment to reflect and enjoy your accomplishment and reflect on what you have learnt on your journey. Treat yourself – this builds self-confidence and leads you to set a list of new goals. A few things to note when reviewing the rest of your goals that still have to be achieved:

• If the goal was too easy to achieve , give yourself a challenge and make the next goal harder
• If you found a new way to achieve the goal, then try this with the rest of the goals

Reach for the stars , Aim high and never stop Dreaming