How to set REALISTIC goals and ACTUALLY achieve them!

Do you want to pay off some debt, spend more time with your partner, do YOU want to lose 16lbs in a REASONABLE amount of time?

I know we are quite a ways from New Years, when most people like to set goals, but people are always wanting to change. Evaluating WHAT you might want to change and WHEN is a good first step. I love the idea of a fresh start January 1st as much as the next person but I also love thinking about new accomplishments on my birthday every year. Either way, it's never a bad time to do some some reflection and make some positive changes.

So where do we start?

Understanding WHY you want to do ________________ is a great first step. This will help you stay motivated, or disciplined rather, when the going gets tough. As a matter of fact I recommend you write on a sticky note:

"If I ____________________ then I will be able to _________________________."

When I was working to pay off credit card debt last year there were plenty of opportunities to get off track and lose focus but I created a sticky note on my computer that said "DEBT FREE" and wrote:

"When we are DEBT FREE we can RETIRE AND TRAVEL"

When I would sit down and check my email (that is full of things I wanted to buy) I would see that sticky note and remember that spending that money on some new leggings was not going to make me enjoy our military retirement. As a matter of fact, downsizing BIG TIME means they may have VERY short term enjoyment.

Next we think about how to break our goal down into specifics. Just saying I want to look good in my swimsuit or I wish my partner and I spent more time together is not a GOAL its a STATEMENT. I believe the first time I heard about SMART goals was probably in high school but this is simply a blueprint to get you thinking about your goals in a way that will make them.

SPECIFIC

MEASURABLE

ATTAINABLE

REALISTIC

TIME SPECIFIC

SPECIFIC. Be specific about what you actually want to accomplish. Remember this is NOT just a generalizing statement about your finances, your health or your relationship. We are dialing it in so you can narrow your focus. We can come back to my credit card debt.

I want to pay off ___________ .

MEASURABLE. Make sure that it is something that you can measure. Put a NUMBER to this so you can break it down.

I want to pay off ___________ with a balance of_____________.

NOW, here is the caveat. Is it possible. We will come back to this BUT just make sure that the time that you are giving yourself is......

ATTAINABLE. If we know, and some of us don't but now you know, that ONE POUND of weight loss PER WEEK is attainable and sustainable! If you are only making 40K per year paying off 20K in debt in 3 months isn't happening unless you find another stream of income. If so, let's chat.

REALISTIC. While being attainable and being realistic seem similar, in many cases they are very different.

Losing 16 lbs in 30 days may be ATTAINABLE but is it REALISTIC? You need to ask yourself if you are willing to do what it takes to get there. Sometimes the COST here is attainable but we may not be successful. Making sure that your goals are REALISTIC will help you set realistic action steps We want to be successful 80-90% of the time so we can continue to work towards our goals. What's going on in your life? What are your potential boundaries or obstacles?

TIME. If you don't have a specific time it is easy to make excuses or not have an end in sight. Having a time set gives you something to look forward to and helps you establish a plan.

I want to pay off___________ with a balance of_____________ in ______________ months.

So now we have a BLUEPRINT......

Action steps are the next critical step because without a plan we just have a bunch of sticky notes lying around that we have no idea what to do with. I am going to come back to the debt and the same can apply to weight loss or anything else.

1. My balance is _______________

2. I found $$___________ in my budget that I can pay towards this debt.

3. Divide the BALANCE by $$$ and this will give you a TIME or take the BALANCE and divide by the TIME and now you know how much $$$ you need.

Once you have this you can decide what you need to do to have that extra money.

1. cut out extras in your budget like coffee or dinners out

2. get a side hustle

3. get a part time job

4. sell some of your things you don't need

Break this goal up into bite sized pieces. Skipping my coffee every morning ($5 starbs x 5 days x 4 weeks) and dinner out with my partner each week ($150 x 4 Fridays). I just found $700 extra in my budget. Maybe you can find a little extra by meal prepping or by creating a grocery list and budget. Check out this PRINTABLE GOAL ACTION PLAN.

Remember, we are NOT sprinting to the finish line. We are finding a SUSTAINABLE approach to hitting these goals. What are you going to do, is it going to help get you there, what are you willing to give up to get there, what changes are you willing to make?

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