There really is no better time to set goals than today. Young people especially, will find goal setting extremely helpful in getting where they want to go in life. However, even when we set goals, we can experience difficulties getting started on our path to success. Since each person has their own unique set of strengths and weaknesses, setting goals helps to separate these differences and makes achieving our goals more realistic.
When you decide to set your goals, it’s important to understand these teenage goal-setting tips ahead of time.
Change takes time
If part of the new you includes changes, you will need to give yourself the time required to have these changes take effect. Realistically, it takes most people several months to establish a new habit. Think of a time when you decided to hit the gym before school each morning. That likely meant you had to get up earlier each day. While you may have struggled to wake up earlier at first, over time, it became easier and maybe even natural, to wake up at the new time. It’s necessary to give your brain time to get used to a new idea.
Set realistic goals
While dealing with change is one part of succeeding, setting realistic goals is another. People who set specific, realistic goals tend to stick with the new changes and adapt more readily. Instead of setting a goal to perform a full circuit of training every morning, set a goal to work only the upper part of your body one day and the lower part the next. Keep your goals realistic.
Do it for you!
You’ve probably heard sayings along the lines that pleasing other people does not work. There is a lot of truth to these words, so take them for what they’re worth. The key to successful goal setting and changes is finding the desire to succeed inside yourself. It’s imperative that you set goals because you want to. It’s hard to stay motivated if your heart is doing it for the wrong reasons.
A setback is not the same as failure
It’s inevitable that you’ll experience roadblocks or some level of failure along the way. Every successful person in the world has experienced some level of failure. It is perfectly normal to take a few attempts before getting it right. Reaching a goal is not always easy. Making mistakes along the way is part of the process, so don’t beat yourself up over failure. Instead, see how you can learn from them and get yourself back on track.
Author: Divya Parekh (ACC, CPC, LL, MS) is an international career leadership coach, Head Career Coach at International Coach Academy, and CEO of The DP Group. She assists executives, professionals, coaches and students plan, develop and achieve their career and leadership goals. She has been recognized by Worldwide Who’s Who as ‘VIP of the Year’ for showing dedication, leadership and excellence in leadership coaching. She is founder of the 1/1/1 Leader Project. The project prides itself on being simple. Set a goal. Work towards achieving it. Give someone a smile. Be nice to another person. Make the world a little bit nicer. It’s free so get started today!
Article References:
Community Tool Box
Education.com
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