She Ain’t Nothin’ But a Goal Digger
Everyone has goals, regardless of what they’re for. I try to set goals annually so I can elevate a little with each year of life. Over the last 5 years, I’ve definitely set & achieved some goals. We bought a house, we’ve done better financially, & I started a business. There’s so much more that I want to do though, not only for the future of my family, but also for myself individually. After all, if you’re stagnant, you’re not living!
Goals can be a challenge, but that’s how they’re supposed to be. You can’t set goals that you know you can achieve with ease. You have to set the bar so that you have to put effort into getting what you want. There has to be some work put into it so it’ll be worth it. You’ll look back & smile because you’ll know you worked hard to achieve whatever goal you set.
When you think about your future, it’s imperative to set goals. They give you motivation to turn that vision you see into your reality. They give you a reason to think long-term, which serves as motivation to get past today. We all need something to look forward to, so why not use your vision for tomorrow as the push you need to get there?
My Issues With Being a Goal Digger
One of my issues has been setting too many goals. The Pisces in me always has a million things running through my mind. There’s always a new idea that pops up that I want to try, but I haven’t given myself the time to finish some of the other ideas that came about. This leads to me being overwhelmed & unfocused, & then I just toss the goals to the wayside.
Better time management & organization can help me to achieve all of my goals. The point of having goals is to make the most out of your life. I definitely want to fulfill my life’s purpose, so my goals can help me do just that. I feel like I’ve been searching for my purpose & passion for years, & I finally think I have a clue about why I’m here.
Being so focused on goals that you miss out on life can have you reflecting & wishing you did things differently though. It’s kind of like people who record & take pictures of everything they do everywhere they go. Yes, they’re documenting the memories, but they could also miss out on things because they won’t live in the moment. I can rationalize not achieving all of my goals consistently because I prefer to enjoy the moment just as much as I love planning for the future.
Another issue I have with setting goals is not planning accordingly & tracking my progress. I can brainstorm all day about things I want to do, but I don’t follow up with my plans & change direction when things aren’t moving as well as I’d like them to. You have to check in on your progress, be real with yourself, & change as needed. That’s a habit I need to form.
Two times stick out when I can say I tracked my progress & achieved my goals: getting in shape for my vow renewal & starting Intentional. I had an accountability partner (husbae) to make sure I stayed in the gym 3 days a week. I joined Noom to track my eating habits. I faithfully kept my water bottle filled so I knew how much water I had drank that day. And I can say I enjoyed the results of being consistent. I just didn’t do well with maintaining what I achieved, so I backslid hard & am in worse shape now than 15 months ago.
Starting Intentional was something new to do, so it was exciting. I gave myself deadlines & set reminders so I could stay on track. I told the people around me what I was working on so they could hold me accountable. I didn’t give myself leeway to get off track. Once I opened the business, there was no going back. It’s easy for me to be consistent if I have money involved. Certain things I don’t like to waste: money, time, energy, or food. I’d invested 3 of those 4, so there was no going back on starting the business & maintaining it.
It’s been easier to maintain Intentional because it’s something I enjoy doing & believe in. Although I may not have the most likes or shares on social media, or even a lot of purchases right now, the feedback I’ve gotten from people who read the info weekly & have bought my products is worth it. I was put here to motivate people to take care of themselves, & it’s working so far. That’s all that matters!
What Can I Get From Being a Goal Digger?
Anyone can be a goal digger. You don’t have to have multiple goals to be one either. Start with one so you can really focus on it. Once you get one completed, you’ll increase them gradually. It might even become addictive. Here are some of the things you can get out of setting goals:
- Achieving your purpose
For so long, I felt like I didn’t know why I was put on this earth. I was clueless on what I was here to do & why I met the people who I’ve crossed paths with. Then I began to see how insightful I can be & how many people look to me for advice & a listening ear. I found that I was put here to pour into others, so I set goals surrounding that.
- Controlling your future
There’s nothing like making your own decisions & navigating your own destiny. Setting goals allows you to choose what you want in life & set out to achieve that. Hop in the driver’s seat & hit the gas!
- Satisfaction & happiness
Life is pointless if you’re not happy. Not having happiness can cause you to feel alone & dissatisfied. Setting goals allows you to see what makes you happy & strive to achieve the happiness & satisfaction you want.
- Renewed hope
When you’re feeling lost or like you’re not enough, setting goals gives you something to look forward to. Once you see how well you’ve done to achieve your goals, it’ll give you a new outlook on life.
- Changing your behavior & habits
If goals haven’t done anything for me, they’ve caused me to change habits…when I am consistent. When I had a fitness goal, I kept a schedule of working out, meditating, doing yoga, drinking water, & eating right. Some say it takes 21-28 days to form a habit, but it all depends on what the behavior is & how much of a challenge it is. Regardless of how long it takes, setting a goal gives you something to push for.
- Bettering yourself
When you set a goal, you have the opportunity to compete with yourself. Competition with others can be demotivating, so why put yourself in the position to feel bad? Set your goals, track your progress, & remind yourself how each step forward makes you a better person than you were before.
Being a goal digger only shows your progress. Whether it’s one step or 10, you’ve made movement towards something new & away from something you’re used to doing or being. You just have to make a commitment to start somewhere.
In the next 3 months, there are a few things I’d like to achieve. I know they’re necessary for me to come out of my comfort zone & grow more, but I’m going to need to organize the method to the madness. A few things I want to do in the 2nd quarter of 2023 are: becoming healthier, putting on a self-care event, & selling more products.
To achieve these, I’ll need to word them as S.M.A.R.T. goals & form a plan. I’ll need to be more specific & define what “healthier,” “putting on,” & “selling more” means. For me to track my progress & hold myself accountable, I’ll have to break my goals & steps down daily & weekly so I can stay motivated. Setting reminders helps me because they’ll be annoying until I check them off. And there’s no harm in any of y’all checking in on me & asking for updates on these goals.
Growth is uncomfortable. Growth is scary. Growth takes effort. So, the only way to truly know you’re growing is to see how uncomfortable you feel. Let’s make Q2 of 2023 better than Q1! Check out these links to get some ideas if you don’t have anything you can think of to work on:
https://www.betterup.com/blog/goals-for-self-improvement?hs_amp=true
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