First of all, I AM SO EXCITED. I timidly posted the first ever link to my blog last night, expecting it to go completely unnoticed and I woke up to an outpouring of love and support. I cannot believe that people actually want to read what I have to say, but I am no less than ecstatic and extremely grateful that you do. So, thank YOU (yes, you reading this right now), you are the absolute best.
Next things next, since my last blog post was about resolutions, I figure that a post about how to create and keep goals would be the most logical next step. Now, I am not a lifestyle guru, nor have I completely nailed this concept in the past, but hopefully you find some of these tips helpful as you pursue your goals in 2015.
Setting goals, both big and small, is super important because it gives you both a sense of direction and something to work towards. The reason why New Years Resolutions, or goals in general, can sometimes be daunting is because many of us believe that when we set a goal, it must be one of utmost importance. This, however, is not always true. Goals can be something as big as making it into your dream college, saving up to buy your first house, losing a substantial amount of weight or learning all of the dance moves to "Single Ladies" by Beyonce. They may also be something as simple as waking up at a certain time every day, keeping your room clean or vowing to wear jeans instead of sweat pants once a week (college students will understand why this goal is necessary.)
Whatever the goal may be, it is crucial that it is realistic and able to be achieved. I can't even count on both hands the amount of times I secretly told myself that I would become a beautiful princess who always had clean shaven legs and a clear complexion have set unrealistic goals for myself, only to be disappointed in myself when it didn't happen. There is a difference between setting yourself up for failure which, in turn, can make you feel kind of bad about yourself (and we don't want that) and challenging yourself. Learning that difference is essential to ensure that you have a productive and happy year.
Example:
Realistic: I'm going to live a more positive lifestyle by enrolling in yoga classes and YouTubing at least one cat video every day, you know, to achieve total zen.
Unrealistic: I'm going to start playing underwater extreme frisbee, make it to the Olympics, win gold medals in every category and marry every boy from One Direction. (Super unrealistic, but what a wonderful life that would be.)
As most of us know all too well, keeping goals is even harder than setting them. It seems all fine, well and good when you're laying in your bed at 3 a.m pondering the true meaning of life, telling yourself that this is finally your time to really motivate yourself and accomplish all that you've ever set out to do. But if you're anything like me, you'll know that as soon as your alarm goes off the next morning, you want to punch your 3 a.m self in the face for even planting the idea in your head.
In order to keep up with your goals, you might try writing little inspirational notes and sticking them in places you frequent the most so that the idea is always fresh in your mind. You may also try telling a close friend/family member or two about what you're setting out to do because that will make you feel as if you have no choice other than to do it, so they're not constantly nagging you. Also, don't think any step towards achieving your goal is too small. If you're working to lose weight and you lose 2 pounds, reward yourself with a mani/pedi or a day of relaxation. Motivation oftentimes comes from feeling good about what you're doing, so make sure to pat yourself on the back when you've made progress. Lastly, always look ahead. Picture yourself accomplishing the goal you've set for yourself and envision the happiness that will come of it. If you can keep your endgame in mind, it will be a continuous reminder that all of your hard work will pay off in the long run.
I know this post was a little lengthier than the others, but I hope some of these tips have been helpful and that you enjoyed it! If you have any more tips or tricks about how to set/keep goals, let me know in the comments below!
As aforementioned, your support means the absolute world to me. Thank you so much for reading and I wish you the best of luck with any and all goals you wish to achieve! (You can do it!)
xo, Taylor
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