Tag Archives: Goals

How to set goals in 2016

If you’re anything like me, 2015 has passed through in the blink of an eye, with plenty of unexpected twists, laughs, destinations ticked off the bucket list and a fair amount of “things I wanted to do but didn’t get around to.”

Looking forward to next year, I am resolute that I will be able to look back on 2016 – whether it’s learning something new, taking on a challenge or finally making a start on my home decorating plan – and tick some items off my always growing list.

So how do you really set goals and stick to them? I’ve spoken to friends, done the internet research and read the inspirational Instagram posts so you don’t have to! Here is an easy step-by-step guide on how to make your 2016 goals actually happen.

1) Be fair to yourself

This is the big one. Don’t try to do everything at once. Although the idea of becoming fluent in three new languages, running an ultra-marathon or finally saving enough for the 6 month trip through South and Central America sounds incredibly appealing on paper, in reality you are setting yourself up for failure. Pick one goal. Work towards it. Achieve it. Then pick the next goal.

2) Get started

So you’ve picked your goal. Now stop talking about it and do it. Put on the trainers, sign up to that evening class. Repeat.

3) Find an accountability buddy

Now the matter of keeping to your goals. If you have a friend/colleague/acquaintance who wants to do the same thing as you, then great! Support each other and swap tips.

However, even if you have a goal no-one else is sharing, you can still find an accountability buddy. One of my friends is learning a new language, and her colleague is setting up a blog. Every day, they commit to doing just 10 minutes of work a day towards their individual goals, texting each other to let them know what the other has done. Then, every fortnight they catch up for a coffee, update each other one what they have achieved, and what they want to achieve in the next two weeks.

4) Set check-ins along the way

Break your goal into bite-sized pieces by setting yourself small goals along the way. When you have a manageable amount to achieve in the next week or month, you can slowly and surely progress towards the big goal.

One friend sets himself goals every year, and smaller goals every month, and spends time every Sunday checking in on what he has achieved. By breaking it into weekly check-ins, a big goal for the year becomes a lot more achievable, and spending a little bit of time checking in and being honest with yourself allows you to adapt your journey along the way.

5) Set deadlines

Aim high and have a definition of what success looks like to you. Whether it’s crossing the finish line of a marathon, reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro, ordering in Spanish from a restaurant in Madrid, or finally standing up on your surfboard, find what success means to you. Then set yourself a date. Book the marathon. Book the flights.

Feeling Inspired?

Visit the Inspired Adventures Calendar to set yourself an adventure goal for the New Year.

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