Taking Action to achieve your Goals

Sometimes a goal looks so big, you can end up feeling overwhelmed and give up before you have even started! That is why it is so important to chunk your goal down to small manageable chunks and set yourself a target for completing each chunk.

So, say for example, you have set yourself an emotional goal which looks a bit like this:

Emotional Goal example: It is July 23rd and I feel so happy and light. My self esteem is growing every day and I feel very confident in all situations. I am assertive and honour my emotions. I love and accept myself and always take time to nurture and take care of myself. I never beat myself up but always speak kindly and lovingly to myself and others. I look forward to what every day brings.

You would then need to take this goal and imagine that you have achieved this goal and it is July 23rd. You could then ask yourself ‘ What steps did I need to take in order to achieve this goal?’

Here is some ideas ( You do not need to do all of these, just pick the one’s which work well for you)
Read a book on Self Esteem and complete all the exercises. - Completed by Feb 10
Listen to a positive affirmation CD on my way to work or before I go to bed. ( For 30 days) - Completed by March 30
Practise my assertiveness skills ( could also read up on assertiveness , attend a course, search for information on the internet) – Completed by April 10
Write a list of 100 things which make me happy and do one thing every day – Completed by April 10
Do mirror affirmations such as ‘ I love and approve of myself’ or ‘ My self esteem is growing every day’ ( Every day for 30 days) – Completed by May 15
Spend 5 mins every morning visualising my perfect day - Completed by June 20
Do at least ten things that push me out of my comfort zone ( e.g. stand up for yourself, join a new class, say No when you would normally say Yes etc etc) – June 20
Take time for ME and schedule some exercise / relaxation time in to my diary each day – July 1st
Each night before I go to bed, say 10 nice things about myself – July 10th

GOAL COMPLETED – JULY 23RD!

The key is to find action steps which will assist you in achieving each identified area of your goal. So, if your goal states you want to be more confident, try and find a selection of actions you could take which would result in you increasing your confidence levels.

The process is the same whatever type of goal you set yourself.

Here is a Health Goal Example: It is June 1st 2010 and I am so happy now that I have achieved my target goal weight of 75kg. I found really easy to lose 10kg and I love the way I now look and feel. I have plenty of energy and time in my day to exercise and enjoy working out at least 3 times a week for a minimum of 40 minutes. I feel so confident and I love looking at myself in the mirror admiring my new body shape. I find it so easy to both cook and eat healthy meals. I look and feel fantastic!

Suggested Action Steps include:
Purchase some new gym kit – Feb 1st
Join Gym – Feb 1st
Fix at least 3 dates / times in my diary that I will go to the gym – Feb 1st
Research / gain advice on healthy eating / nutrition – Feb 1st
Introduce different meals / Healthy eating into life – FEB 2nd
Go to gym at least 3 x per week - Feb 2nd
Get of bus one stop earlier and walk – Feb 15th
Use stairs instead of lift – March 1st
Start doing affirmations such as ‘ I am my perfect weight’ and ‘ It is easy for me to find the time to exercise ’ – March 1th
Increase activity at the gym, join a yoga class / pilates etc – April 20th
Go for a swim or bike ride – May 30th

GOAL COMPLETED – JUNE 1ST

Another thing to remember when doing action steps is to reward yourself! I would recommend that you reward yourself at the end of each month as an acknowledgement of the work you have done. If you have lost some weight, reward yourself with some new clothes or treat yourself to a facial! Rewarding ourselves is an important part of the process as the brain does like to have some pleasure – and not all pain!

Remember, although this might seem like a lot of work, you are worth it and you can do it. The key is to try and make your action steps fun and enjoyable and not just seem like a heap of hard work.