2022 is around the corner. Have you set your goals for the new year yet? Maybe some of your previous goals didn’t go as planned this past year or you had to switch to plan B. But in 2022, everything will be different, right?!

Every year, hundreds of people set goals, decide to change their toxic habits, or start a new adventure. But as we know from experience, many of these dreams break down following the first month of the new year. Where does it go so wrong? And how can we turn around and set expectations that will actually turn into reality?

It’s not you, it’s the way we set goals! We need to change and adjust our expectations. There are a few key steps that can help you to not only accomplish your goals but also achieve your dreams.

 

1-    Be realistic

Who doesn’t want to be a millionaire, travel the world, or find true love, right? But is it really a realistic goal to expect to achieve these things in a year span?

Imagine that you currently make 10,000$ per year. Expecting to increase your income up to a million dollars within a year would be increasing your income by 100 times. Let’s also think of another scenario. Imagine that you sold 10 homes this year. Expecting to sell 100 homes by next year is far too unrealistic of a goal.

What happens if our goal is not realistic? We lose motivation. The sweet spot for us to be motivated enough to pursue our goals is to be challenged (scary), but also not too challenged (confidently) at the same time. Many experts anticipate that an attainable goal is about 2 times more than what we have in hand.

Let’s take the income example again. If you make 10 thousand dollars per year currently, expecting to make 20,000$ by the end of next year would be an attainable and motivating goal. After you reach 20,000$ in income, you can double your goal again. You can continue increasing your goals until you are fully satisfied with the position you are in. In a way, setting attainable goals will help you break down a big accomplishment into easier action steps.

 

2-    Be courageous

Franklin Roosevelt once said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear”. This quote really stood with me for years. How many times have we changed our minds and taken a step back because we feared? Fear is always present anytime we step out of our comfort zone or when we get ready to step into the unknown.  

Most likely, your goal has these qualities of being in the unknown zone or out of the comfort zone, which naturally means that you may feel uncomfortable as you work meticulously to accomplish your goal. 

Be courageous. Know that if you feel uncomfortable or face fear, that means you are on the right path. Continue repeating your steps towards your goal. Soon you will realize that uncomfortable can become comfortable and you can create a new comfort zone!

 

3-    Set an end goal

You have a goal in mind, but how would you know if you actually accomplished your goal? If you have a vague destination ahead, how do you even know whether you arrived yet or not?

Start by determining a specific end goal. Be as specific and clear as you can. For instance, if your goal is “to lose weight”, that’s a vague goal and you can easily lose track of your goal. However, if your goal is to lose 20 pounds in 6 months, or to fit into size 4 in 6 months; then you know exactly what you need to do.

We can even turn vague goals into definitive concrete success steps. For example, if your goal is to be healthier, you can make it specific by focusing on the details that contribute to health such as eating more protein and fewer carbs or being more active every day. So instead of waiting for opportunities to be healthy every day, you create a path towards health in advance and just follow it!

Being specific and clear will also help make your goal measurable. Always ask yourself, “How would I know if I accomplished my goal?”. Keep that vision in mind and along the way check back and see how far you’ve came along. This way you can measure whether you accomplished your goal or not.

 

4-    Use your imagination

Did you know your imagination is so much powerful than you thought? When we use imagination, our neuroplasticity changes. And actually, in powerful mind states such as meditation, hypnosis or breathwork, the mind starts reacting as if your imagination is real.

When we take advantage of our imagination, magical results start to appear. When we imagine, we feel like our goal is already accomplished and the universe responds to our feelings! And voilà, your dream is getting real!

So, use your imagination and imagine how would your life be like when you accomplish your goal. Would you feel successful? Would you be more confident? Would you be living in the same circumstances? Get in touch with as many details as you can. 

You can simply close your eyes for 3 minutes and imagine the details of your life when your goal is accomplished. You can also journal about your goal. Again, write down all the details that make you excited! If you want to make it more powerful, take this into your meditation, self-hypnosis, or end of breathwork practice.

The key here is being consistent. Make sure to use your imagination one way or another every single day so your mind gets in the habit of thinking from that perspective.

  

5-    Make time in your schedule

Often, we see our goals as a hobby unconsciously and we make time for them only when feel ready or when we have time after work (Surprise surprise, many of us get tired and don’t end up having time after work!). However, our dreams and goals are not a hobby nor they are optional. If you really want to accomplish your goals, you need to make time for the steps that will take you there every single day. Remember, it’s usually not the big steps that create the change. Rather, small steps bring in big changes.

In your daily schedule make sure to have some time set aside for yourself and for your goals. Even if it’s a small step like journaling or meditation, invest that time into yourself.

For example, say you want to lose weight and one of the important steps is preparing your meals for the next day. If you don’t set time aside for the meal prep, most likely, you will get busy with other chores and brush the preparation under the carpet. The next day you won’t have time to cook and end up eating unhealthily. And you will wonder why it’s been so hard to lose weight! It’s that easy to make or break your goals!

 

6-    Don’t be afraid of change

As you achieve your goal, you will realize that some of your values, habits, and desires are changing too. The closer we get to our goal, the newer perspectives we acquire. As a result, we may see our environment and qualities shifting as well. But this shouldn’t scare you and actually, maybe it should encourage you.

There is a reason why you weren’t able to accomplish your goals in the past. You were different and therefore your choices and reality were different. As you work towards your goal, you will shift into a new side of you that supports those goals to be real. This means change but a great one!

At this phase you may realize certain people leaving your life, you may find new interests or you may change some of your core beliefs. The old choices belonged to the last chapter. Learn to welcome the changes in your new chapter!

 

Final words

Your goal needs to contain all of the qualities listed above. It’s important to realize that these qualities also contribute to each other. All of these combined will help you be focused, clear and motivated year-round; getting you closer and closer to your goal!