Think Small, Achieve Big
Gretchen Maurer
| 3 min read
Setting goals is a measurable way to gauge what you are trying to accomplish in either your professional or personal life. Regular checkpoints can show you how far you have come and how close you are to achieving goals you set for yourself.
Reaching goals is much easier said than done, of course. It can be challenging setting an overall big picture goal and it is easy to get stuck in the earlier stages feeling like you are not even close to accomplishing your goals.
A few things to keep in mind when setting goals:
- Get specific: The more vague you are with your goals the harder they will be to accomplish. Make your goals as detailed and specific as possible. If your goal is to run a marathon, find one nearby that you are interested in running, sign up, and find a training plan and partner.
- Be realistic: It may sound cliché, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. Take time to think about the goal that you want to achieve and set a realistic timeframe to achieve it in. If you want to run a marathon you need to set aside time to train and prepare to run the distance.
- Set smaller, achievable goals: Accomplishing a goal gives you motivation to keep going on the path you are on. While keeping your overall goal in mind, set up a timeline of checkpoints, breaking down your goal into five to ten smaller goals. If you want to run a marathon, work yourself up to the distance by running three miles, then eight miles, and so on. By doing this you will be able to cross off something on your to-do list, knowing that you are one step closer to achieving your goal.
- Don’t lose sight of your big goal: Everyone experiences a bad day from time to time, so don’t let that discourage you from achieving your goals. Remember that you started the journey you’re on for a reason. One way to stay motivated on a bad day is to look at how far you have come since you started. For example, maybe three weeks ago you were only able to run five miles and now you are up to eight miles, which is something to be proud of.
By keeping these tips in mind you will find yourself achieving more of the goals you set out to accomplish.
Photo Credit: Carmela Nava
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