Goal Week - Reaching the Top

Goals Week has drawn to an end, there is only one more Fan Fridays post left until it's over.

I hope you've enjoyed our guest posts & will keep your notebooks handy & your spirits high

Today's post is about reaching the top

Goals are all about accomplishment right?

Finishing, reaching, & feeling rewarded.

While finally achieving something you've wanted is a great feeling, what are you left with afterwards?

Its over, you've done it.

Now what do you do?

I think a key part of reaching the top is to keep setting goals.

Sometimes you find out that the top is just a plateau & you can push yourself further.

Other times the top is the top but you have more goals you want to achieve.

Keep these things in mind once you have reached your goal:

1 - review your original goal

2 - realize what you did to achieve your goal

3 - analyze how this can help you achieve other goals

Review your Original Goal:

What goal did you set?  Why did you set it?

This is a key part because by the end you may have changed what you were seeking.

Sometimes through the process, goals change.

Perhaps you wanted to be more creative.

You chose this goal because you wanted to see what you could make with your hands.

But as the goal progressed you realized you were really great with paper & glue 

but not so great with drawing.

Your goal, sort of, evolved.

I know that when I started my Gnome Project for my Senior Show, my original intentions were good

but I discovered what I really meant by my goal through working to finish it.

Perhaps you actually discover what you are looking for better by pursuing a goal.

This happens a lot to me!

Realize What you Did:

What did you achieve exactly? How did you do it?

Realizing & outlining exactly what you did to achieve your goal will give you a better idea of how you work.  You'll learn that you like to exercise after work rather in the morning, for example.

This way you will know how to set goals & can predict how you will achieve them.

This reflection will also allow you to discover exactly what achieving your goal meant to you.

You will see how you grew, especially if you have been documenting it.

How can this Help you Later?

Once you have discovered how you achieved these goals, now you know how will achieve goals later!

You'll discover if you are a visual person, if you need others support, 

if you like to do one sort of thing as opposed to another.

You'll also learn new skills you can apply to other goals.

If you decided to take a dance class to be more athletic & more social 

you now know that you have more control over your body & have more friends.

This body awareness may allow you to take an even harder class, 

or join a few friends for another class,

or join a few friends for a completely unrelated activity...like run a marathon!

Both your athleticism & social abilities will allow you to pursue other goals.

Here is a big question though - 

What if I didn't achieve my goal?

there are two unachieved goals:

1 - the ones you haven't yet achieved

2 - the ones you feel you can't achieve

Goals you haven't Yet Achieved:

Say you've set a goal & you've forgotten about it (like I do often) or say it gets pushed to the background because you've been focusing on bigger things.

Well, let's look at that goal.  

One of mine recently was to have made so many odd sales by March 

& to keep up the sales into the summer.

I haven't even come close to this goal!

For your goal, consider why you set it.  What were you trying to achieve?  Why did you pick that goal?

For me, I wanted more recognition as an etsy seller/crafter/artist

Consider what has happened in your life that may have already fulfilled those questions.

Perhaps you've already fulfilled those needs by focusing on something that demanded more time of you.

For me, my senior project was the biggest part of these past two semesters.

Once the show opened & people recognized me, sought me out, & loved my work,

I'd realized that I'd already got the recognition of being an artist.

Now it might not always be so black and white.

But your life may have filled in that yearning for you.

You may have stumbled upon what you needed from that goal.

This is why sometimes I think that goals don't need to be achieved as long as you've gained what you wished to gain from it.

(no cheating though! Don't try to fool yourself if you haven't learned!)

source

Goals you Feel you Can't Achieve:

So you've set this goal & you feel you just can not do it.

You wanted to get a new job or eat healthy or join a new club.

But

you can't find a job or you can't seem to find the time to exercise 

or you don't like the club you've joined.

Do not fret! You can achieve these goals!

Break them down a little more, take it one step at a time.

Can you extend your deadline?

Are you procrastinating?

What can you alter to achieve it?

Make a schedule that fits around the schedule you already have.

can you shave 10 min off of something to take a walk?

can you add to your to do list to eat an apple?

can you take an afternoon off a week to job search?

can you smile & bear it or must you quit the club you hate?

can you make it better?

If you feel you can't do these things, evaluate if the goal is important to you enough.

If It’s Important, You’ll Find A Way. If It Isn’t, You’ll Find An Excuse

Not to be harsh, but the above statement is true.

If your goal isn't important to you, forget about it for now.

Take the time to focus on what is important to you instead!

don't dwell on the things that just aren't!

All in all, you know (& I know) you can accomplish the things you set your mind to.

Be cool, be confident, & for the love of Pete, just be yourself!

Don't set goals that set you up to fail, set goals that will enhance your life!

I hope you've enjoyed these posts & I really, really hope you've found some inspiration!

Take a second glance through & click on the links to get some more Goal inspiration

if you didn't go through the first time

Happy Friday!

PS. Don't forget to check out the link parties in the Side Bar or click here!