Goals

If you’re anything like me, the word “goal” or “goal-setting” causes at best, an eye roll, and at worst, an audible groan. I don’t know about you, but it can feel like I have PLENTY of expectations and standards to meet, just as an adult existing in this world, thank-you-very-much. And as a parent, whooo boy. Just getting through the day feels medal-worthy some days.

My development as a coach has helped me become aware of this common knee-jerk reaction to the concept of goal-setting, and I’ve been forced to build a new relationship with it. Because as a society, we’re going to continue to set goals for ourselves. Here’s a couple things I’ve learned:

• Know your WHY. Goals are so much more valuable when we make the right ones. We have to ask ourselves “why?” a couple times to get to the REAL goal. And if you can’t identify with a strong reason why, it shouldn’t be a goal. You’re busy enough! Take that expectation off your plate.

• It’s about the process. It can be helpful to detach from a specific outcome (out of our control) and instead latch on to a process (in our control) that we can fall in love with, and that realistically fits into our life. Instead of, “I want to lose 10 pounds”, it becomes “I want to establish a workout regimen that is fun and makes me feel strong.”

• SMART has its place. You’re probably familiar with the acronym: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Once you’ve latched on to the compelling vision and your reason why, make sure it has these attributes so you know exactly what you’re committing to.