The idea of setting goals is ubiquitous in today’s world. We have goals for our careers, goals for our bodies, financial goals, family goals, house goals! The list can go on forever because people are constantly setting goals for how they want their lives to be. #goals is pervasive on instagram as a response to photos of couples, home decor, outfits, etc… But what does it really mean to set a goal for yourself? How do you do it? Is it simply aspirational or something more concrete?

The way in which you think about and craft your goal can be what makes or breaks your success. Most of us think of goals in terms of the ideal state that we want to get to. Going back to Instagram for a moment, #goals is rarely posted on pictures that show the process, in fact, the process is rarely shown on social media at all. People see a photo of a beautifully designed house and think “oooh! Goals!” We think of a goal as the perfect end state where we want to be. But the truth is that a goal can’t simply be “I want a perfect house!” A goal should encompass everything it takes to get from where you are to where you want to be. And doing that well takes time, self-reflection, and honesty.

When I sit down to set a goal, the very first thing I do is reflection. I think about where I am right now and how I got here before I even start thinking about where I want to go. Don’t skip this! It will set you up for success by a) giving you a clear picture of your starting line; and b) helping you right size your expectations for the future. For example, if I want to buy a new house and have that as a goal, it is important for me to be clear about details such as how much money I have set aside for a down payment, what my equity in my current house looks like, how much I can spend each month on a mortgage payment, etc… These things will help me zero in on a realistic goal. Maybe I what I want is out of my budget at the moment – knowing that ahead of time will help me make a proper plan. Options are 1) get super aggressive with savings and/or making extra income; 2) set the goal for a date further in the future; or 3) re-evaluate if I should set my expectations lower. Keep in mind, lowering expectations isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, being realistic about what you can achieve in a given time period will create momentum to help you eventually realize those more lofty and seemingly unattainable goals. And this step of self-reflection will help you create a solution oriented goal that you can actually work towards.

So..that’s my step one of setting a new goal. There are more steps after this one, but I truly think this is foundational to being successful in your progress. You can’t move forward until you understand where you are and how you got here. Next week I’ll dive into Step 2 – Defining Your Motivation.

I’m so excited to be sharing this with you all and would love any thoughts or feedback you have a long the way!