Personal, Sarah's Tips

February 19, 2021

Goal Setting | Sarah’s Tips | Sarah Tapp Photography

I have always really enjoyed setting goals. My personality is very structured and I’m definitely a perfectionist. So setting goals is just natural for me. Every year I pick a word to focus on and this is what sparks the other goals I’ll make for that year. In past years I’ve made personal goals and business goals and I make 5 goals in each category. The last 2 years I have made 5 personal goals, 3 business and 3 family goals. My word for the year is always my 1st goal and to me, it’s usually the most important. You can read more about my word for this year here.

With all the other goals that I make I choose 3 sub-goals to help me accomplish the main goal. So, one of the personal goals I made this year was to start counting calories. I just want to be more aware of how much I’m eating and what I’m putting into my body. Now, I’ve tried counting calories in the past and gave up pretty quickly after I started. But I figured if I made this a yearly goal it would give me enough time to really feel like I can achieve it. So, my sub-goals for this main goal are to 1 – download an app on my phone to help count calories, 2 – call/text my mom and ask for her advice and help (she has counted calories since she was a teenager and understands it all), and 3 – find/buy a calorie cheat sheet book. Hopefully that gives you a good idea of how making sub-goals can help you actually achieve your main goal. I’m all about attainability. I always strive for perfection and I hate it when I can’t get there. So, actually making realistic and attainable goals helps me feel like I can reach perfection even if it takes me a while or I struggle along the way.

The other main thing I do when making goals is write them down! Starting in about October/November I start thinking about what I want my goals for the next year to be. As I think and ponder and pray about them, I write down ideas that come to mind, even if it’s just on a note on my phone. Then closer to the beginning of the new year I sit down and write out my top 5 personal goals, top 3 family goals (which I always discuss with my husband beforehand) and my top 3 business goals. Then I make sub-goals for each and write those down.

And the last thing I do is write all my goals and sub-goals on a chalkboard that I hang where I can see it everyday. Mine is in my bedroom. But the main idea is to have it in a place where you can’t ignore it. Somewhere you look often and can see these goals as a daily reminder. It could also be as simple as a poster board. … Now, I am by no means perfect at attaining and completing every single goal. But by making goals like this, I have found that achieving them is SO much easier! I have measurable, practical steps to take to reach each goal and that makes it a thousand times more attainable. And who doesn’t want to feel like they are improving and growing? Plus, accomplishing anything always makes me feel good! Happy goal setting!

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