Is January going by slowly or is it just me??? Probably just me, and probably due to the fact that I've cut out sweets until the 21st....how is it only the 11th? It should be the 20th by now :p

I guess the good thing about January going by slowly is that I have lots of time to work on my goal setting!

If you've been around here for a little while, you'll know that I usually do one word for the year. One word to sum up who you want to be or what you want to do. I do have my one word and I plan on posting more on that next week BUT because I'm an OCD type A planner, I also set goals!

I love New Year Resolutions/goals...even though sometimes I don't meet them all, it's a great time to reflect on the previous year and focus on what you want to achieve this year.

Here are some tips that help me reach them goals!

1. BE SPECIFIC

Ahh I'm soo guilty of making these lofty goals like "be in the best shape ever" and then never reaching them. The problem is that the goal is to broad. Instead of making your goal to "be in the best shape ever", make it more specific like, "go to the gym 3x a week". A specific goal is way more attainable!

2. MAKE ACTION STEPS

My #1 strength according to Strengthsfinder (which I 100% recommend doing if you haven't yet!!) is activator. Therefore, I am ALL about action steps. Action steps are what you do to take your dream to reality! You want to run the TC 10km this year? Your first action step would be sign up for the race then find a running program on Runkeeper etc etc. You want to master contouring? An action step would be going to Sephora to find a colour that's good for your face. Action steps make the goal happen!

3. WRITE IT DOWN + TELL SOMEONE

Okay, so this step is actually two steps but it's one in the same! Writing it down makes it feel REAL. I love the fact that my agenda has a bucket list for 2017...I jotted down a bunch of things and I can easily flip to it to remind myself of what I want to achieve.
Telling someone is also a GREAT way to help you reach that goal. Your friend/sibling/spouse/etc can help keep you accountable and encourage you to not quit!

4. CHECK IN

Check in on your goals weekly, and monthly. Tracking your progress will help you get to that finish line!! When I ran that half marathon a few years back, I would always check at the end of the week to see how many kms I did because I needed to rack them up to reach my goal.

5. CELEBRATE THE SMALL STEPS FORWARD

Every step matters and deserves to be celebrated! It could be something like buying a new pair of jeans when you reach the halfway point to your fitness goal or going to your favourite restaurant when you finish that course. I'm all about rewarding, ha.

I also want to touch on not shaming yourself if you don't reach a certain goal. DON'T DO IT! Shame is the worst motivator. Don't be discouraged if you aren't meeting your goal, instead take some time to look at your life/schedule and plan out some steps to move you forward!

YOU GOT THIS!

What are your goals for 2017?

XO,
laura