Tip 1: Choose your goals carefully
- What SPECIFIC steps do you need to take to reach your goal?
- How will you MEASURE your progress?
- Is your goal ACCEPTABLE to yourself and those around you?
- Is your goal attainable and REALISTIC?
- What TIME frame will you set aside to achieve your goal?
Tip 2: Visualise your goal
It’s easy to forget goals in between your many daily activities. Make sure you remind yourself regularly by hanging a pinboard at your desk, on which you visualise your goal or work out your timeline. Add some inspiration here too – motivational quotes or pictures, things that you’re grateful for or that have gone well, happy memories etc.
Tip 3: Prepare for setbacks
Life’s full of setbacks, the trick is to know how to get back up again when you’re knocked down. To achieve your goals, you’ll need to learn how to deal with the bumps along the way, so start by working on your mental resilience. This is the ability to adapt and take control in the face of life’s challenges. It’s how you learn to deal with change positively, which has a knock-on effect to achieving your goals.
Tip 4: Involve others in your goals
When you share your goals with those around you, it makes them much more ‘real’. Tell your manager what you want to achieve in the workplace, or work with a friend or colleague towards the same goal. By doing this together, you can support, motivate and inspire each other when the going gets tough. Share weekly updates and the tips and tricks that you’ve found useful.
Tip 5: Reflect regularly
Plan a fixed reflection moment every month to reflect on how things are going. Are you satisfied or do you need extra support? Your supervisor may be able to help you with this. Or maybe your approach isn’t working? If you’ve planned three short moments a week for your development, but one longer moment works better for you, then change it! Nothing is set in stone – change it up as you see fit. And don’t forget to reward yourself when things go well!
