Okay, so as much as I am pro goals, sometimes I do think twice about my approach to goals and how important they are in life… And then I remember my thought process is in alignment with the type of person I am and the life I want to live. We’ll get into that argument a little later, but with that being said, if you’re not interested in living a LUXE life (check out “About TheLuxeDocs“) if you’re not familiar with what a LUXE life is, this one isn’t for you. I’ll save you the time and headache. Goal planning is a key to life.
WHAT ARE GOALS
I like to think of everything I want in life as a goal. I mean technically by definition… it is!
A goal is a desired result. If everything we do, for ourselves at least, isn’t for a desired result, then what are we doing it for. Why would we be doing things that don’t result in things we want? Of course, we do things for others out of the kindness of our hearts and the few things that we may have to do due to the season we’re in (like working long hours or working period), but we typically don’t do things that we don’t want to do or that don’t serve us.
WHY GOALS ARE IMPORTANT TO A LUXE LIFE
The question that can be had is when is enough enough. But my response to that is why should there ever be enough. If living a LUXE life, your journey is one of growth where you continue to evolve into your best self and grow in your purpose or whatever it is that you have set out to do. To suggest that your best self is a single endpoint that can be achieved, in my opinion, is limiting your greatness because it’s suggesting that you can only get so good and then that’s it. You can’t tell me I’m going to reach a peak and then fall off. Uh uhn. I’m not hearing it. In my mind you’re a hater lol. So, the above explains why I feel as though goals should be endless and you can never have too many or do too much goal planning.
Another indicator that growth can always be had so goals can continually be in place is change. If change continues to occur, good or bad, there is an avenue for growth. A real-life example is technology. Technology is improving all the time. Either you will grow your skills to learn the new technology or you won’t and remain stagnant in life because you can’t keep up with its changes. Choosing not to keep up and/or not being able to will eliminate you from and push you out of opportunities in an ever-changing world.
Most importantly in my opinion, goals give you something to work towards, which keeps you going. For some, they give purpose, and purpose gives some a reason to live.
GOAL PLANNING: HOW TO SET GOALS
First off, I call it goal PLANNING because the word “setting” doesn’t really give off the vibes that you’re putting thought into it in my opinion. The most I get from “setting” is that you may give it a due date. Other than that, it makes me think of sitting down to write out a list of New Years’ resolutions… listing. Now that we’re past that tidbit of information, there’s no need to remake the wheel (I think that’s how the saying goes), especially if it works. “If it aint broke don’t fix it,” in this case. So, I’m sticking to SMART goals to plan mine. They’re tried and true. And even if people hadn’t tried the method and couldn’t attest to them being true, it just makes sense. It makes so much sense it’s like how couldn’t it work. What are SMART goals you ask. Look below.
Smart Goals
S- Specific
M- Measurable
A- Attainable
R- Realistic/Relevant
T- Time-based
HOW TO ACHIEVE GOALS
You’ve got the goal planning down pact so now let’s get to the achieving. My framework for achieving period is pretty much the same as you’ve seen in “5 Easy Tips for Making it a Lifestyle: Eating Healthy” and “The Art of Sacrifice & How to Persevere for Success”. If you haven’t read at least the latter one, you should definitely check it out if you plan on leveling up your goal achieving and actually seeing results. Let me give you some key steps to achieve goals.
Steps to Achieving Goals
- Figure out your “WHY”
Your “WHY” is just that, YOUR why. I won’t spend too much time on this step because I talk about it in both the posts mentioned above. But the main thing to know about this step is that if it’s not real, it won’t stick. It’s kind of like going to school to be a doctor because that’s what your parents want you to do. When it gets tough and you’re ready to quit, you’re going to be more likely to do so because there’s nothing really motivating you to do it… I mean unless pleasing your parents weighs that heavily on you, which by the way will get in the way of you living your LUXE life because doing so involves living a life you enjoy based on YOUR terms.
- Build your mindset
Mindset, also discussed in the posts above, is important. You pretty much already know what will come with working towards the goal(s) you have set for yourself, especially if you used the SMART method to plan them so prepare your mind for it. You know it may be challenging (not hard), time consuming, possibly draining, etc. Build up your mind now to be able to withstand it all. This step may include some research, especially if it’s something outside of your normal scope and you don’t fully know what you’re getting yourself into.
- Think Through Your Possible Obstacles
In “The Art of Sacrifice” this step is comparable to “List your sacrifices,” which is also step 3. I know it may seem like you’re being a “Debbie Downer” with this one, but it’s really all about preparing. Being aware of what can come up and having a possible solution for it allows you to better navigate these situations if they arise. And remember that’s just IF. You’re more likely to keep going and bounce back quicker if you knew it could’ve happened and had some possible solutions.
- Define a method for measuring progress
Tracking progress is important, especially for those long-term goals. This also includes target markers. Sometimes progress will be easily defined like watching numbers drop on a scale. Other times it may be a little more complex and measured with a marker or milestone like earning a certain certificate or acquiring an amount of clientele on your journey to becoming a licensed esthetician. The small progress and hitting the target markers pushes you to keep going
- Set up a reward system
Rewarding yourself is just another incentive to keep going. Be sure your rewards don’t contradict the goal you have set for yourself. And don’t try to cover up your mishaps as rewards. “I ate carbs today and the goal is to lose weight, but it’s okay because I’ve been sticking to the diet and deserve it.” WRONG. If you have not met your target marker or made progress per your preset method of measuring progress, it is not a reward. You just messed up on your journey. Own up to it and keep it moving.
Goal planning is key, and if you do it the right way, it’ll make goal achieving easier. A few extra tips to help see it through are to use resources that are aligned with what it is you’re trying to achieve. Doing so helps you to stay engaged.
*IN REAL LIFE
Nice, new workout clothes really motivate me to workout. Are they needed, no. But because of the type of person I am, I want them lol. I’m sorry that I care about how I look when I’m working out. Yes, I like for my workout shoes to be white so they can go with all the fits I currently have. Sue me lol. You also might not know that The LUXE Journal was created to help solve a problem (which may not be seen as a problem to everyone) for people like me who want everything around them to embody the type of person I am in my mind and portray to be and life I want to live, a LUXE one. No, I don’t want to write my plans in any ole regular degular notebook. That’s just me. Practice makes perfect, so I’m practicing lol. I’m also manifesting my future to the tee by using tools that are in alignment with what it is that I want. You’re not going to practice driving a stick if you want an automatic. It just doesn’t make sense.
Be sure to check out “The Art of Sacrifice & How to Persevere for Success” for some key characteristics needed to achieve goals. Be resilient. Things may come up, but don’t take too long to shake it off and bounce back. You’ll lose steam. And last but definitely not least, don’t talk about it be about it. Don’t get caught up in the goal planning stage and fawning over what the end result could be. Especially if you actually took the time to plan them and not just list them. Transfer that steam into actually doing. There may never be a perfect time to start working towards that goal, so you have to just start.
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And remember…
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