Setting goals and dreams is a great place to start. Not only does it help you visualise where you want to end up - but having a goal in mind is an extra motivation for most people. Some people can even get tunnel vision and just plod on until you reach your goal.
There are different things that make up a well-set goal. Below we will look at some of the aspects that are a good idea to have in mind when setting a goal.
Dream big - you can be realistic later
Before you start on your journey, you first need to work out what your goal actually is. You may want to achieve many different things in your life - but if it is increased activity, we recommend that you dream as big as possible. That way you can reveal to yourself what you really want.
Once you've brainstormed and found some different dreams and goals, it's about which ones are realistic to achieve with the conditions you have. For example, it's not possible to lose 30 kilos in 6 months - at least not in a healthy way.
The goal must be concrete and time-bound
The more specific you can be in describing your goal, the easier it is to navigate towards it. To explain this better, we'll start with weight loss, as we find that many of our clients come to us with weight loss in mind - or at least a desire for it.
Let's say you want to lose weight. If you're in that situation, the best place to start is to define something that's easy to measure and track progress on. For many, it's the number on the scale, but it can also be measuring body parts or with a fat bar. In this example, the person wants to lose 10 kg before having a wedding in 6 months.
So now they have a defined goal, and even a time horizon, to navigate. In this way, the person can adjust their behaviour and activity to achieve the goal. It is important to mention that the number on the weight in no way says anything about you as a person. The number does not define you and you should not be turned off if the number was not what you wanted.
Set sub-goals for the main goal
Once you have a well-defined and realistic goal, it's a good idea to set some sub-goals. They act as small milestones on the way to your dream and they keep your spirits up as you slowly work your way to the finish line. Above, we mentioned how dopamine can create addiction - and every time you reach a milestone, your brain will release dopamine.
This dopamine gives you even more blood in your teeth and acts as a little reward every time you reach a milestone. That's how you reach your goals in a good and sustainable way. Take it one day at a time and you'll be proud to stand at the finish line, 10kg lighter for your wedding.
