Realistic Goal Setting from a Constant Learner

Realistic Goal Setting from a Constant Learner

By Kajsa Reed

Since I began working at Six Words Communication Corp., I’ve started seeing things through the lens of well…six words. Here are six words to describe how I feel about being Six Words’ newest employee:

Happy, excited, nervous…and really motivated.

While 2016 was not an easy year for me, I set goals, tried to tackle them with an upbeat attitude and achieved a lot. In the end, 2016 had an ultimately positive outcome, one that I hope will set the tone for what I will accomplish in 2017 and beyond.

When looking back on the year, I’ve come to learn that setting and achieving goals is a habit you can develop, albeit not necessarily an easy one. To help you set and reach your 2017 goals, here are some tips I’ve recently uncovered:

1. Set reachable goals. Sure, we all love to hear goal setting stories of miracle-like proportions, like becoming a professional athlete and starting a multi-million dollar company all in the same year, but it’s important to make your goals realistic. This will help you both plan and reach your objectives in a reasonable timeframe. One of my goals last year was graduating from university by the end of summer 2016. Knowing I had enough credits left and the work ethic to get there, I was confident I could finish in time.
2. Understand that hard work is necessary. The old adage is true: Things worth achieving are rarely easy. The good news? Working for your goals is part of what makes reaching them feel so great.
3. Write them down. For me, being able to see what I want to achieve reminds me that I need to work to make it happen. Consider setting your goals as your phone background, or creating reminders in your calendar (or even sharing them in a blog). Not only does it keep them front and centre but it can help you stay accountable, especially if you show your written goals to a friend, or coworker.
4. Set both short and long-term goals. Being able to knock down one of your goals in a short period of time will give you a nice boost in confidence. This quick success may help carry you through the rest of your list. Try setting and reaching one goal a month. This January, I set the goal of saving up for my bridesmaid dress, because my best friend is getting married. Exciting? Arguably. Timely? Yes. Realistic? Yes. Achievable? Ask my new, pretty, pink dress.
5. Understand that failing to reach goals does not make you a failure. What you learn while attempting your goals can be worth far more than achieving them. Sometimes, failures are the best lessons. I have always set high goals in athletics for myself, but I tore my meniscus in a soccer game. The recovery and rehabilitation to get back to achieving my physical aspirations has taught me more about my work ethic than having two, fully functional knees could have.
6. Be proud of your accomplishments! It’s okay to look back and congratulate yourself on all your hard work. Find ways to celebrate the goals you bring to life. You deserve it. Go on a trip, treat yourself or try something new! When I graduated, I celebrated by taking a trip to Nashville with my cousin.

 

So go on, go set some goals, achieve some, and if you don’t – learn from those failures.

Happy learning!