SMART Goals: Keys to Not Giving Up

Pushing ourselves to grow and try new things can be scary, especially if other people are watching you. That is one reason why I have been scared to start posting videos on YouTube, posting on our blog, and even sharing with others on IG. I know we hear this a lot, and I have to remind myself constantly that I shouldn’t be scared of what people are going to say or think about you. When you live in fear, though, you let other people dictate how you should live. And, living in fear is neither fun nor healthy!

A Few of Our Goals

Over the past week or so, us kids had a little meeting together and decided that, in order to push past fear, laziness, and procrastination, we would set a goal for each week for the rest of 2020. A couple ways we are keeping ourselves accountable is by committing to our viewers on YouTube that we plan to release a new video every Friday, letting people that read our blog know what our goals are, and letting our friends know what we are going to start doing because we don’t want to let anyone down or break a promise. Here are a couple of our goals, so that you can help keep us accountable:

- Release a new YouTube video every Friday

- Post 1-2 blog posts every week on Wednesday 

- Make at least 1-2 IG posts every month 

- Release at least 1 IG story per month 

And an additional goal we have to work towards this year so that we can accomplish it next year, is to take vocal lessons and learn how to use a couple of music production apps in order to record a single or cover by the end of 2021, Lord willing! As long as things don’t go too sideways! 

It is March, and it is the month that most people quit on their New Year’s resolutions or goals which I have to say is sad. I think that, instead of quitting on our goals, we should recommit to our goals. I know a lot of people who either don’t set goals because they think they will never accomplish them, set unrealistic goals, or never work towards their goals. I personally fit into the last one, and I am working very hard to change that! 

SMART Goals

If you havn’t set any goals or would like to set new goals, here are a few tips to set SMART goals. SMART stands for:

- Specific: Not a goal like “I want to lose weight/get stronger.” A goal like that is hard to reach because it is hard to define. Instead, maybe something along the lines of “lose 1 inch on my waist” or “be able to do 100 push-ups without resting.” Both of the second set of goals are specific and measurable.

- Measurable: Like specific make sure that you are able to measure your goals like the “lose 1 inch off of your waist,” “do 100 push-ups,” “be able to jump rope for 2 minutes straight,” “write 200 words a day for my book,” “make 2 new product designs a week,” “make 1 t-shirt design every week,” “be able to hold my breath for 1 minute to help with lung capacity,” etc. All of those goals are measurable, and having measurable goals will make them easier to attain.

- Achievable: This is very important! You should be able to reach your goal. A few unrealistic goals for most people would be “lose 500 pounds,” “get defined abs in one day,” “become a superhero,” “finish all of your college semesters and classes in 30 days,” “make one million dollars and pay off all of my debt in one month,” etc. Make sure that you can reach your goals with your lifestyle. Having goals that are not achievable will just meant that you’ll be more likely to give up. Make them achievable, and you’re more likely to achieve them. We do, however, recommend that your goals push you out of your comfort zone. Aim high...but don’t shoot for Mars when the moon is more attainable.

- Realistic It’s easy to say things like,  “I want to workout for 2 hours everyday, eat salads and beans for every meal, drink a gallon of water everyday, and sleep for 9 hours every night,” but almost no one has time for all of those things — those goals are  unrealistic for them. When people set unrealistic goals, they aren’t as motivated or just quit. Remember, though, aim high. 

- Times-based: This is important because it gives you a timeframe and makes it more real. Without having a time or date to shoot for, we all would probably procrastinate forever. Commit to a timeframe, and write it down. Writing down your goals is powerful, and put a timeframe to them.

Some Helps for Staying on Track

It is always nice and a great idea to also have a goal buddy or accountability buddy/friend that checks-in with you to see if you are working towards those goals. ometimes, though we ask people to help us stay accountable, and either they forget or life gets busy. So, instead of relying on someone else, and, if you know you will forget, either make a paper goal tracker on some graph paper or use an app like Habitica or Habitify. If you just need a little nudge or a reminder to accomplish and work towards your goals. 

Habitify or a paper habit tracker will keep you on track. On the other hand, if you are someone that needs an ultimatum to keep them working and striving towards their goals, Habitica is for you! Habitica is built like a game so if you skip a day that you scheduled that you were supposed to be working on your goals, it will take something away from your avatar and bring you down a level. Or, instead of using Habitica, you could make a habit tracker with consequences. For example, if you don’t write 200 words a day for your book or blog, you can’t watch your favorite show for a day or a week. Or maybe, if you don’t exercise for more than 2-3 days a week (and if you were just being lazy), you will have to give a friend/family member $10 to use however they want. These are just a few ideas, but I think you get the idea. 

I personally use a paper habit tracker, and it is very helpful. It is very motivating for me because I like to see how far I can go. Have you ever heard the quote that goes along the lines of “I don’t want to stop because I want to see what it looks like when I don’t quit.” I probably butchered that quote, but that is the message. I want to see what I can do if I don’t quit. I want to see what you can do if you don’t quit! Here’s to making SMART goals and committing to work towards reaching them.

Are you in the habit of making goals and working towards them? If so, how do you think that your habit has affected your life? If not, what is keeping you from doing that?