Grounded Goal Setting

Sometimes it can feel like everyone around us is easily achieving great success, when in truth, every individual has relevant struggles when it comes to goal setting. Only you can know the true depth of your motivations, no matter what category your goals fit into. They could revolve around dieting, workout plans, academia, a career, or any variety of other things. Or, in some cases, all of the above.

When we first start pursuing our goals, we feel so confident. It provides a renewed sense of who we are and where we want to go in life. We are set on making them a reality. But where does that feeling go? Sometimes it sticks around for a few weeks, and other times it has dissipated by the next day. Even looking at motivational quotes on Google Images doesn't seem to bring back that original optimism. Why is this? It all has to do with our underlying motivations. Did we, in our heart of hearts, commit to focus on that goal? Motivation is a strong force, but is impossible to fabricate.

For example, I recently had a conversation with my husband in which I told him I was interested in the latest and greatest model of the Fitbit. I said it was because I wanted to get back on track with my fitness, and I believed that having it would help me stay motivated with my physical goals. The Fitbit model had all the fancy bells and whistles that I could ever hope for and featured a sleek style that catches the eye. But my husband, knowing me far too well, stopped me before I even got started. He knew that my desire to have the new technology outweighed my desire to achieve my fitness goals.

Now, don't get me wrong. It's not that I didn't want to achieve my fitness goals. I still do, and I think about it all the time. So why do I agonize over going to the gym each day? Why does getting ready to go on a run seem like such a difficult task? I'll wrap back around to this- it is about the degree of your motivations. Simply said: I don't want it bad enough. I may think that I do, but my obstinate resistance to doing anything and everything physically taxing brings the issue back into the limelight.

Does this mean that setting a plan and following through on your true goals should be easy? Of course not! But when you have a passionate goal; something that sets your heart ablaze, you STICK TO IT. No matter how much it hurts, no matter how difficult it is, you keep going. It is because that goal defines you, and that goal essentially becomes a part of who you are.

Another important thing to remember is that goals come and go. Something you set your heart on last year might not be relevant at all now. Goals change—they evolve. Think back to what your goals were when you graduated high school. My goal was to perfect my piano technique. It was to maintain a perfect 4.0 GPA in my college classes. It was to finish reading the Sword of Truth series written by Terry Goodkind (which I still haven't managed to do). Some goals come and go as we age, and some stay constant throughout our lives.

Know that if you are having trouble setting your sights on your goal, that doesn't mean it isn't important to you. It also doesn't mean that you should drop that goal completely. What it does mean is that you need to take some time to assess your motivations. Why did you really want to achieve "insert goal here" in the first place? What has been standing in your way? While "I don't know" may seem like the appropriate answer to those questions, there is a deeper underlying factor. Soul searching is sometimes needed because the answers aren't always black and white.

One method of clearing this mind-clutter is to try an activity I read about in One Year to an Organized Life by Regina Leeds, and is something I saw in action in my workplace. It's called "vision boarding." It is a tangible portrait of your goals, which can be very useful in reminding us why we set out to achieve them in the first place. You'll need:

• Some Old Magazines
• A Large Piece of Paper or Tag Board
• Scissors, Glue or Glue Sticks

Flip through the magazines and cut out words, photos, and value statements that speak to you. These are things that match up with the path you are on, and the one you want to take. Organize them as you wish on the paper/tag board to be aesthetically pleasing (or not), and then glue them down to complete your personal vision board. It may seem silly, but having a visual representation of your goals can provide the spark that ignites your motivations. Hang the board somewhere that you'll see it often. It could be in your office, on your bedroom wall, or you can even cut out a section of it and have it in your planner. Goals are no joke.

There's one last thought that I want to leave you all with. It's a reminder that life is hard. Even when everything seems to be working out for us, something can come out of the blue. There will be times where you need to put your goals on hold. The trick is to come back fighting. When you get sidelined, make sure you don't take yourself out of the game. Go back to the root of your motivations and keep on chugging.

You define what you do in this life. You have the power to incite change both in yourself and in others. Never underestimate what you are capable of. With hard work, a little compassion, and A TON of drive, amazing things are possible.