Setting goals that stick

Watching Nina's determination to be able to be a musician, writing and making music, made us want to focus on the importance of having goals and sticking to them.

So, what about goals?
Really, aren’t goals just the things you talk about in your plan meeting with the NDIA so you get the funding you need – and then you forget about it until your next planning meeting?
Well maybe, especially if the goals you have are not really goals that excite you.
So, lets talk about goals that make you go ‘Yes please!’ and “I really want that!’, just like Nina wants to be a musician!

So let’s have a look at:

1. Why do you want to set goals?
2. What sort of goals to set yourself?
3. And once you have goals, how will you know you are on track
4. What about if you change your mind?

​1. Why set goals?
When we ask people why they set goals, most people gave reasons that are similar to these:

• It gives me something to focus on
• I feel like I am in control of my life
• I have a sense of where I am going and what I am doing
• Goals give me some control over my future
• They make my life challenging and give me something to strive for
  
  

2. What sort of goals to set yourself?
The bottom line is: the goals you set yourself have to work for you. They have to excite you and get your through the tough times when you want to throw in the towel and give them all up.
People have talked about different types of goals and it might be good to have a mixture of the following different goals:
1. Lifetime Goals: these are the big goals of life and it might take you your whole life to achieve them, or at least a very long time. As you get older, your lifetime goals will probably change. Lifetime goals might be about family and relationships, about health and wellbeing, about how and where you live, work and play. Many of these big goals are about what’s really important to you and about the things you value.
2. Long-term Goals: think about these goals as being achievable in a 5-10 year period. For example, saving a huge amount of money, planning for a big life change, planning a career or wanting to get really good at something (did you know it takes 100,000 hours of practice to get really good at something. Things like golf, playing an instrument or painting.)
3. Short-term Goals: these goals are things you can achieve in a day, week, month or maybe a year. Getting fitter might be an example of such a goal, or eating less sugar, being kind to at least one person a day or helping another person.
4. Stepping-Stone Goals; these are smaller goals towards achieving bigger goals. Goals like doing 15 minutes of exercise and then doing 30 minutes. These goals build one on top of the other and with each stepping stone, you get closer to your goal.
When we work with you, we like to ask you to think about what makes a good life for you and help you come up with goals in three important, meaningful areas of life:

• Having goals that are about something (meaningful) to do
• Having goals about the people we love and want to connect with
• Having goals about something to look forward to

3. How to keep on track?
​Lots of people talk about SMART Goals and lots of us have heard about that, so let’s use it.

A SMART goal means that the goal is:

   S = Specific: “who, what, where, why”
   M = Measurable: “how many, how much, how will you know you have progressed”
   A = Achievable: but don't make it too easy
   R = Relevant: your goal has to excite you and matter to you
   T = Time bound: have a target date, a time in the future when you evaluate how you are going with   your goal

4. Is changing my mind about goals ok?
ABSOLUTELY!
Anyone who tells you that you can’t change your mind is stifling your creativity and cramping your style! 
Smart people change their minds, because they learn new stuff, hear about some interesting things they want to try out and are just curious about what life’s got to offer.
Don't change your goal just because your goal is hard, though, or because someone tells you your goal is a pipe-dream, or because you are starting to doubt yourself.
- If your goal is too easy to achieve, it’s probably not worth having
- If your goal does not excite you, it’s probably not worth having
- If your goal is really someone else’s goal or opinion, it’s probably not with having
But
- If you goal is hard but it makes your heart sing, stick with it!
- If you believe in your goal, stick with it!
- If your goal makes you happy, definitely stick with it!
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Also stick with any goal that gives you fun and joy!