One of the best first steps you can take in making a commitment to better your life is to set goals that relate to how you’re going grow over a certain period of time. Setting meaningful goals can help you stay on track and motivated to learn and expand, leaving that which no longer serves you in the past once and for all.
It is important to set achievable goals and those in which you will be able to notice results. It can be especially beneficial to focus on coming up with SMART goals, or those that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Bound. It can be a challenge at first to identify milestones that meet all criteria but doing so will ensure you can track your progress from the beginning.
Consider all of the following when coming up with a growth plan:
What do I want to achieve in this growth process?
What do I need to do in order to release the past?
What are some self-care strategies I can use to help maintain balance?
What is the timeframe in which I want to complete each of these goals?
Who might be involved to help me achieve my plan?
Do I need to reach out to a professional or a professional organization before beginning?
What are some self-affirmations I can recite to help me stay motivated?
How will I track my progress?
When a goal has been achieved or is no longer relevant, what will I do?
While you’re coming up with meaningful goals, it can also be beneficial to also create a visual that depicts both your self-care strategies and social supports. You might place yourself at the center of all of the actions you plan to take to help maintain balance and not get overwhelmed or burnt out from the change process.
For example, you might list some hobbies you particularly enjoy that allow you to decompress, individuals you can turn to, and other resources that fill your cup. Place these all around you in the drawing go you have a quick and easy resource to reference whenever needed.
It is important to have a go-to for when you need to take a timeout and regroup. If you push too hard, you will only exhaust your reserves, stagnate, and could be tempted stay stuck. Self-care is an essential part of goal setting and will help you be able to stay centered and focused. It’s a way of rewarding yourself for your efforts. Do you enjoy blowing off steam at the gym? Meditation? Yoga? Reading or writing? Playing a specific sport? Taking a walk outside? Whatever you do to restore peace should be added to the plan.
Your social network can also fill you up. When you’re considering who you can turn to for support in your journey, you might include your closest friends, loved ones, and family members. You might also include business colleagues, professional acquaintances, mentors you’ve had, and those that are embarking on similar paths. Are you part of a support group? Do you attend counseling? Who do you typically turn to when you just need to vent?
Where you store and access your plan is also important. You want to make sure it remains visible enough for you to reference and analyze your progress without it causing undue pressure and stress. While you can keep your intentions in the back of your mind and gradually take steps to achieve these, you’ll also want to make sure, every now and again, there are still steps to take. Sometimes goals become irrelevant as circumstances change. Since we are constantly evolving, life can take unexpectable twists and turns and invalidate some of your original plans. You’ll want to take a peek often enough to ensure your goal sheet is up to date.
You might also come up with ways in which you will combat naysayers and other obstacles, which could derail things instantly if you’re unprepared. There will always be challenging circumstances that could steer you off course. Knowing what to do when you feel as if your intentions are being tested will provide a handy reference tool during times in which it might be difficult to think clearly.
Remember, planning is important, but adaptability is essential. Since uncertainty is a fact of life – it’s something that’s inherent in our day-to-day and unavoidable – your plans must remain flexible. Even if you try to control as much as possible, there will still be an unexpected change of events here and there. Think of your goal sheet as ever-evolving, just as you are, and don’t get discouraged when plans change a bit. Black and white thinking is counterproductive to the healing journey. You must be able to mold and remold the process along the way.
Goal setting takes practice. If you’re stuck staring at a blank page for a significant amount of time, put it away and return to it later. Eventually, something will pop into your mind and stick. You’ll get excited for what that goal represents and what it will do to help you heal and grow. These are the ones you’ll want to jot down. If a goal seems to cumbersome right out the gate, it is. Don’t write down those things you are absolutely certain are not obtainable. But, remember to challenge yourself a bit and get just specific enough to be able to measure your progress without setting yourself up for inevitable failure. It’s a delicate, but necessary balancing act.
Once you get familiar with the goal setting and tracking progress, it is a lifelong tool you can use to continue growing and releasing the trauma of the past. Don’t get discouraged if it is cumbersome at first. You will eventually get the swing of things and there’s nothing more satisfied then realizing the benefits of investing in yourself so you can life fully and give unconditionally to those you love. Having a visual reference will help you truly appreciate how far you’ve come.