How to Practice Goal Setting All Year Round

For many, goal setting begins and ends in January. This is an essential data point because it emphasizes the fact that temporary fixes don’t work. Rather, progress is a direct result of consistency.

Have you ever thought about where you’d like to be in a few years? Perhaps you’ve landed a new promotion, purchased a home, or started a family. To accomplish these goals, you need to do the little things right, and that means incorporating small steps into your everyday life that set you in the right direction.

Setting goals in 2021? Our team at Countrywood Apartment Homes has some tips and tricks to help keep you on the right path all year round. 

What Is the Bigger Picture?

It has been said that “There is no change without sacrifice.” This is often used in relation to social causes or religious worship. However, this also applies to goal setting, as we must clearly define our priorities and understand the challenges brought upon us by making that commitment.

Growth marketer and cofounder of Web Profits Sujan Patel states, “A little bit of discomfort goes a long way in terms of personal development. Sure, no one likes feeling uncomfortable, but it’s a big part of improving your performance, creativity and learning in the long run.” The keywords here are the long run. To accomplish long-term goals, we need to focus on the bigger picture. Once we have a clear image in mind, we can begin to piece together the puzzle.

Small Victories Lead to Big Success

For many individuals, goal setting can seem daunting. That’s because many of us have goals that involve a lot of moving pieces. However, it is essential to realize that success is simply an accumulation of small victories. This measurable proof of accomplishment results in increased motivation and confidence. We can then leverage that momentum towards sustaining our change in habits.

Author Teresa Amabile states, “The power of progress is fundamental to human nature.” In other words, human beings are born with the innate desire to grow, adapt, and seek improvement upon the current state in which they exist. This goes hand-in-hand with our desire to practice goal-setting all year round. By starting small, we drastically improve our rate of success.

Hold Yourself Accountable

When it comes to goal setting, accountability means holding yourself responsible for the achievement of your goals. When we take accountability, we are taking a sense of pride and ownership in reaching our desired outcome. There are several resources available to assist you in this process, including enlisting the help of an accountability partner and tracking your progress in a written and visual manner.

Setting goals is an important part of progress. Establish the bigger picture, delight in the small victories, and take accountability. As the great Walt Disney once said, “A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there. With enough effort, he may achieve it. Or he may find something that is even more rewarding. But in the end, no matter what the outcome, he will know he has been alive.”