Goals

It is that time of year when many of us are feeling the urge to set goals and run into the New Year with goals, hopes and dreams for ourselves. It is during this time that we are usually working away at New Year’s resolutions and making maps of how we would like this year to go. This year though….feels a little different.

Our lives have been changed immensely by what has been going on in the world for the last nine months! Many have changed working situations, social and personal situations all leaving ripple effects in every crevasse of our lives. It has left many of us wondering… what is to come? Unable to plan or unwilling to plan due to the fear of the unknown.

I am inviting you to notice these feelings as you read this blog. Perhaps this resonates a lot, perhaps 2020 was your year! Either way, notice what it is like to reflect on the year that has passed, and your point of view on the year to come. In noticing, allow a kind and compassionate attention to this experience.

In considering goals for the New Year, recall that they don’t have to be about anything in particular. No one sets the rules about goals except us. You can have personal goals that include creating a more balanced reading schedule or calling friends more frequently. And those goals are just as valuable. In setting goals, you may want to follow a formula and the one I outline below is one of my personal favourites.

SMART goals! S: Specific M: Measurable R: Relevant T: Time Specific
Specific: We want our goals to be specific. In thinking of your goal, ensure to map it out as best as possible and narrow it down. An example, instead of saying “I want to call my friends more” Say “I’d like to speak with my friends three times per week”.

Measurable: We also want goals to be able to be measured, so we can track them. This services a few purposes, the first so we can see if we are achieving them and the second so that we can notice if our plan of action needs an adjustment.

Relevant: We want goals that are relevant in our lives! Our goals should be applicable to us, and things that we want or need in our lives. If reading is not something you want or need in your life, maybe this isn’t the goal for you!

Time Specific: Our goals should have a time stamp. Do you want it done in a month, a year or five years? Having a time stamp can increase motivation and can help us to break down our goals into doable parts within that time frame to ensure we are working towards the final goal.

Remember, your goals are your goals. And they are perfect just that way.

Be well,

Written by Sam Memedoska