Fell off the goals wagon for some reason or the other? Here is your ultimate guide to hitting reset on your goals and seeing them through till the end without stressing yourself out.
I just spent a week celebrating my 24th birthday (yay me) and while the occasion was full of adventures and cakes, the whole shebang ended up causing a setback in my health routine.
I broke my sugar detox (willingly), was in no mood to work out, and my birthday-high brain was in no condition to calm down long enough to meditate or tick off my daily reading goal of 10 pages.
While I’d have loved to stay in my hot-girl era, I don’t regret stepping out of that zone either. I had fun, it was needed, end of story.
But now that it’s all over, the question is — How do I jump back into the game without giving myself anxiety in the process?
Resetting goals and resolutions is not a fun feat, and since you are here reading this post, I’m gonna assume you’re in a similar situation as me.
Maybe you had an urgent situation that pulled you away from your goals, or maybe you just lost the motivation along the way and are now looking for ways to restart.
Whatever your reasons might have been for hitting pause, I am here to assure you that you have the option to reset your goals.
If you’re ready to pick up your discarded goals with renewed inspiration, then read on.
These 5 tips will make the whole process easy-peasy and super fun for you.
5 Smart Ways To Reset Your Goals
1. Ditch The Regret
When it comes to resetting goals, regret is your enemy numero uno and needs to be ditched from the get-go.
You wanted to achieve something, you had big hopes, but couldn’t succeed for some reason or the other. Things happen, we sometimes fail, and that’s all right.
But what’s not fine is letting guilt ruin your chances of actually fulfilling your vision.
Dwelling on the past is unproductive, and it’s something you need to stop doing right this second in order to move on with positivity and gratitude.
Here are some ways to rid yourself of guilt:
- Create a positive journal entry to boost yourself.
- Write down some feel-good affirmations.
- Do a cleansing meditation.
- Talk to someone who makes it easy to see the best in yourself.
- Record an uplifting voice note for yourself.
- Stay away from things that trigger negativity (e.g. social media).
2. Adjust Your Goals
Your pride might demand that you carry the same set of goals forward that you started with. But is that fair to your current self?
Life is all about juggling the right priorities at the right time.
Yet people keep following the same goals over and over out of stubbornness, not willing to adjust and adapt.
Your initial goals were set during a different life stage.
It’s okay to let go of goals that no longer resonate with you, and add something that brings you true joy.
For example, at the start of the year, I set a goal to cover 10k steps every day. But for some reason, I lost the enthusiasm to walk long distances.
So, now, my fitness routine includes 5k steps every day and a 20-minute morning light cardio workout.
I didn’t lose anything but just tweaked according to what my body and mind needed from me. See what I mean?
Revisit, refocus, and reprioritize until you’re satisfied with your new set of goals.
And once you are clear on them, write them out in clear words.
Also, make sure that your goals are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound).
A vague goal like “get healthier” is easily ignored.
A SMART goal like “walk for 30 minutes 3 times a week for the next month” is clear and easy to act upon and stick to.
3. Buy New Stationery For Goal-Planning
Buying stationery is the best way to get yourself excited about planning stuff, especially when it comes to goal-setting.
Get yourself a new planner, and use it to create a daily routine that is in alignment with your goals.
When working toward a goal, I like to set my daily routine every morning based on what I want to achieve that day.
This means your routine doesn’t have to be a strict one.
The more flexible you are, the easier it will be to take things one day at a time.
Get a cute journal that you can use to record your progress, write down your intentions, and pen down affirmations.
Finally, buy some sparkly pens and stickers to make the whole thing more fun and colorful.
4. Break Down Your Goals Into Mini Challenges
When you think about working toward a goal for a long duration, it can feel tiring and overwhelming at once.
There’s also too much room for procrastination and laziness.
But if you break down the time period into small parts, it becomes more manageable and motivating for the mind.
You can do this by giving yourself mini challenges.
Say, you want to lose weight before the new year.
Then start with a 1-week challenge that can include daily goals to “exercise for 20 minutes” and “walk 5k steps”.
Once the week is done, record your progress, and then give yourself a 2-week challenge to level things up. You get what I mean?
The beauty of this is that you get to adjust your goals from time to time.
You can level up, stick with what’s been working out, or take things down a notch depending on your progress at the end of each challenge.
The planners and journals that I pushed you to buy in step 3 are really going to help you with this.
5. Add A Mindfulness Activity To Your Routine
We usually pick up goals with high motivation but it slowly dwindles with each passing day.
To make sure this time you don’t lose that spark, add a mindfulness ritual to your routine that can ground you to the present.
This ritual should be something that calms your racing thoughts and helps you sieve through the noise in your mind and reach that part of you that wants to achieve great things.
Here are a few suggestions on my end:
- Read 10 pages of a self-help book.
- Meditate for ten minutes before bed.
- Catch the sunrise.
- Drink a cup of herbal tea and be mindful of each sip.
- Color in an adult coloring book.
- Do stretching in the morning.
- Take a walk in nature.
- Listen to a podcast that gives you peace.
Pick any one of these activities for your routine and stick with it no matter what.
It’ll act as your stable ground amidst all the chaotic changes in your life and make it a breeze to hold onto your goals.
Ready To Hit Reset On Your Goals?
I’ve already started this 5-step process to hitting reset on my goals. Hopefully, I’ll get back to doing all my healthy stuff in a week or so.
Patience is of utmost importance here, and self-compassion too!
Give yourself time and be understanding of all your emotions throughout the reset process.
In the end, it’s all about enjoying the journey rather than hurrying toward the destination (because that never works out anyway).
Read next: Ultimate Life Reset Checklist – 30 Tips To Reset Your Life
Have some views on what you just read? I’d love to hear back from you! Drop a few words in the comment box, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
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