Having life goals can be beneficial to our happiness and wellbeing. They are something we have chosen and have set aside time to work on. They give a feeling of empowerment as we accomplish the tasks we set ourselves. In this article, I will consider some of the things worth bearing in mind when setting up your goals.

Taking the time to set up your goals enhances the probability that your chosen goal will become a reality. You know what you want to do; now think about how you are going to implement it.

What exactly is it you want to achieve? You want to get as detailed and as specific as possible. For example, ‘lose weight’ may be your chosen goal. However, 'I want to lose 10 kgs' is more precise and can be measured. This can work well for goals such as 'be happier', 'stress less',   'relax more'. You will want to know exactly what will be involved to achieve these states.

How are you going to achieve your goal? Be aware that there is not just the one way to get to a desired goal. Spend time considering as many options as possible, and then weigh up the pros and cons of each, finally choosing the one that will work best for you. Remember, you can always return to the original possibilities later on if your chosen plan of action isn’t working out too well.

Be aware of your time constraints and any financial limitations when setting up your goals. You will want to specify a time and a place to work on your goal, so make sure nothing will get in the way of this happening. Think about your surroundings, as well as being aware of your own personal habits. For example, you want to train for a marathon but know that you are not an early riser, so perhaps a 6am jog around the park is not such a good idea.

Spend time early on considering potential obstacles that may hinder your progress along the way. Think about other people and different elements in your life. How are you going to handle these difficulties if they arise? Forward planning means you won’t be caught out. Of course in saying that, some unforeseen challenges may come your way. Although you cannot know the form they will take, give some thought to how you might manage things so that your goal does not fall by the wayside. Even if it is just a written reminder to get back on track once the crisis is over.

Imagine your goal is in place however, you are making excuses to yourself for why you are not working on your goal. Be totally honest here and think of all the things you may say. It may not be easy doing this in the beginning when you are enthusiastic, however think about things you have generally said to yourself in the past. Now how are you going to set your goals so that these excuses are no longer feasible? For example, your goal is to have your dining room decorated by July. You know from your past behaviours that you say things like: it will be too disruptive, it’s too dark to paint, it takes ages tidying up. Now take steps beforehand to minimise disruption, consider your lighting and get organised so each session you have minimal clearing up afterwards.

If your goal has an endpoint, give it a deadline. Make it a realistic time, which suits your circumstances. Remember the date can always be moved if necessary; there is no need to give up if you miss the date, after all it is one imposed by you and is always open to change.

Have a look at my other articles on choosing and achieving your goals.