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June #b365 Tip: Set Goals
Setting goals is healthy—it helps us grow and learn about ourselves, and pushes us outside our comfort zone—but setting meaningful goals and sticking to them can be challenging at times.
Repeated studies show that one of the best ways to set (and crush!) your goals is by journaling. “There’s a release that happens when you write,” says Claudia Amendt, a co-active coach in San Jose, California. “Your goals get out of your head and onto paper, which creates more space, giving you more mental clarity and increasing your focus.”
Sounds pretty good, right? We thought so. That’s why our June #b365 tip is all about goal setting. Read on for an easy-to-follow 5-step journaling exercise that will empower you to identify and go after what you really want.
5 Steps to Journaling Your Way to Goals That Stick
1. Understand your “why.”
In order to set your sights on a goal and achieve it, you need to first understand why you want it. And a great way to get to your “why” is to get clear on your values.“We often don’t connect to the ‘why’ behind our goals in a meaningful way,” says Claudia. “We might think we need to do something because it’s what everyone else is doing, but it’s critical to look underneath that and see how our goals connect to our personal values.”Before you write down specific goals, write down your values—why do you care about achieving certain goals? Maybe you put these values on the first page of your journal so that you can keep flipping back to them.
“Being in touch with your ‘why’ will ultimately make all your goals much richer and easier to follow through on,” says Claudia.”
Here’s an example of a “why” versus a goal: A goal might be to exercise four times a week. To get at your “why” behind that goal, ask yourself, why does this matter? Maybe you sleep better and feel happier and more productive on days when you move your body. In these cases, the “whys” you write down might be “more energy” and “a happier, more balanced me.”
2. Set specific goals.
Now that you know your “whys,” how do you want to see those values manifest in your life? It’s important to be specific as you write down your goals.
“A common obstacle I see in goal setting is that people don’t get specific enough,” says Claudia. “You want to set specific goals that are achievable and measurable. It’s okay to have big, overarching goals, but I recommend also setting smaller goals so that you experience a sense of completion when you start making strides.”
For example, if you are someone who values calmness and you decide to cultivate that through meditation, don’t just write down “meditate” as your goal. Get specific. You might write down, “I will meditate five days a week for 10 minutes as soon as I wake up.” Or, “I will find a quiet place and listen to one guided meditation using the Insight Timer app twice a week during my lunchbreak.”
3. Get real.
With some values and specific goals on paper, you can now review them.“You always want to be asking yourself, ‘Is this goal realistic given where I am currently?’ ‘Does this goal energize me?’ ‘Is it going to move me forward?’” says Claudia.
If the answer is no, scratch it out and write down a different goal that better aligns with your present-day “why.” And since you’re being honest with yourself, you can try adding deadlines to your goals to help with accountability. You’ll want to strike a balance here between pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone and setting yourself up for success.
4. Cultivate your support system.
One of the most important steps you can take in setting and achieving goals is surrounding yourself with a healthy support system. We call this your culture of good health. It is the people around you who nourish you, and make you stronger, healthier, and happier.
“Our support systems are everything,” says Claudia. “They are the people who will hold you up when you can’t, and they serve as your mirror when you cannot see what’s in front of you. Living as part of a connected community will set you up for success over the long term.”
Who are these people in your life? Write them down in your journal, along with some ideas for how you can ask them to support you. For example, you might include your mom in your culture of health and write down that you’d like her to meet you once a week for a 6am barre3 class. It can be hard sometimes to ask for help, so getting specific can be the extra nudge you need.
5. Acknowledge your progress.
Your goals are set! You might consider keeping your journal someplace where you can see it, like on your nightstand or desk, as a reminder to check in on how you’re doing. Try making weekly notes about your progress toward each goal.
Documenting your experience once a week helps shift your mindset away from feeling pressure to make the “right” decisions in every moment. You’re able to reflect more cumulatively about how you nourished your body and ate healthily over the course of the whole week. This can help with avoiding the shame spiral that prevents us from acknowledging success in the way we deserve.
“It’s all about enjoying the journey,” says Claudia. “Reward yourself when you meet milestones, even if they’re small ones. You don’t have to wait for a big transformation. The transformation is happening as you’re living your life and working toward your goals.”
What goals are you setting for yourself in June and beyond? Tell us what you’re working towards in the comments below! And if you need a little extra motivation, download our one-page goal-setting worksheet to help you stay on track.
Setting goals is healthy—it helps us grow and learn about ourselves, and pushes us outside our comfort zone—but setting meaningful goals and sticking to them can be challenging at times.
Repeated studies show that one of the best ways to set (and crush!) your goals is by journaling. “There’s a release that happens when you write,” says Claudia Amendt, a co-active coach in San Jose, California. “Your goals get out of your head and onto paper, which creates more space, giving you more mental clarity and increasing your focus.”
Sounds pretty good, right? We thought so. That’s why our June #b365 tip is all about goal setting. Read on for an easy-to-follow 5-step journaling exercise that will empower you to identify and go after what you really want.
5 Steps to Journaling Your Way to Goals That Stick
1. Understand your “why.”
In order to set your sights on a goal and achieve it, you need to first understand why you want it. And a great way to get to your “why” is to get clear on your values.“We often don’t connect to the ‘why’ behind our goals in a meaningful way,” says Claudia. “We might think we need to do something because it’s what everyone else is doing, but it’s critical to look underneath that and see how our goals connect to our personal values.”Before you write down specific goals, write down your values—why do you care about achieving certain goals? Maybe you put these values on the first page of your journal so that you can keep flipping back to them.
“Being in touch with your ‘why’ will ultimately make all your goals much richer and easier to follow through on,” says Claudia.”
Here’s an example of a “why” versus a goal: A goal might be to exercise four times a week. To get at your “why” behind that goal, ask yourself, why does this matter? Maybe you sleep better and feel happier and more productive on days when you move your body. In these cases, the “whys” you write down might be “more energy” and “a happier, more balanced me.”
2. Set specific goals.
Now that you know your “whys,” how do you want to see those values manifest in your life? It’s important to be specific as you write down your goals.
“A common obstacle I see in goal setting is that people don’t get specific enough,” says Claudia. “You want to set specific goals that are achievable and measurable. It’s okay to have big, overarching goals, but I recommend also setting smaller goals so that you experience a sense of completion when you start making strides.”
For example, if you are someone who values calmness and you decide to cultivate that through meditation, don’t just write down “meditate” as your goal. Get specific. You might write down, “I will meditate five days a week for 10 minutes as soon as I wake up.” Or, “I will find a quiet place and listen to one guided meditation using the Insight Timer app twice a week during my lunchbreak.”
3. Get real.
With some values and specific goals on paper, you can now review them.“You always want to be asking yourself, ‘Is this goal realistic given where I am currently?’ ‘Does this goal energize me?’ ‘Is it going to move me forward?’” says Claudia.
If the answer is no, scratch it out and write down a different goal that better aligns with your present-day “why.” And since you’re being honest with yourself, you can try adding deadlines to your goals to help with accountability. You’ll want to strike a balance here between pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone and setting yourself up for success.
4. Cultivate your support system.
One of the most important steps you can take in setting and achieving goals is surrounding yourself with a healthy support system. We call this your culture of good health. It is the people around you who nourish you, and make you stronger, healthier, and happier.
“Our support systems are everything,” says Claudia. “They are the people who will hold you up when you can’t, and they serve as your mirror when you cannot see what’s in front of you. Living as part of a connected community will set you up for success over the long term.”
Who are these people in your life? Write them down in your journal, along with some ideas for how you can ask them to support you. For example, you might include your mom in your culture of health and write down that you’d like her to meet you once a week for a 6am barre3 class. It can be hard sometimes to ask for help, so getting specific can be the extra nudge you need.
5. Acknowledge your progress.
Your goals are set! You might consider keeping your journal someplace where you can see it, like on your nightstand or desk, as a reminder to check in on how you’re doing. Try making weekly notes about your progress toward each goal.
Documenting your experience once a week helps shift your mindset away from feeling pressure to make the “right” decisions in every moment. You’re able to reflect more cumulatively about how you nourished your body and ate healthily over the course of the whole week. This can help with avoiding the shame spiral that prevents us from acknowledging success in the way we deserve.
“It’s all about enjoying the journey,” says Claudia. “Reward yourself when you meet milestones, even if they’re small ones. You don’t have to wait for a big transformation. The transformation is happening as you’re living your life and working toward your goals.”
What goals are you setting for yourself in June and beyond? Tell us what you’re working towards in the comments below! And if you need a little extra motivation, download our one-page goal-setting worksheet to help you stay on track.
