How to set your own goals

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January 15, 2025 Emma Shergold Recent Posts All Posts Life Coaching Mental Health Neurodivergence Office Management Run Coaching Sports Massage Virtual Assistance My response to: “So, what do you do?” How to set your own goals What makes me a good life coach 5 reasons to use a password manager There is no such thing as Blue Monday Receiving a middle-aged autism diagnosis How to set successful New Year resolutions 6 tips on staying hydrated Categories Life CoachingMental HealthNeurodivergenceOffice ManagementRun CoachingSports MassageVirtual Assistance Business Support Office Management CRM/Database Management Email Inbox Management Bookkeeping Event Support Website Management Email Automations Project Coordination Access Support Life Coaching General Life Coaching Transitional Life Coaching Exercise & Fitness Coaching Diet & Nutrition Coaching Run Coaching Business Coaching EV Sports Sports Massage Beginner Running Course Return to Running Course Fundamentals of Running Course Run Coaching Qualifications & CPD Business Management Diploma Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Financial Crime Mentoring & Coaching Skills Psychology of Behaviour Change Life Coaching & Mindfulness Diploma Advanced Personal Training Diploma England Athletics Running Coach Gym Instruction Nutrition & Weight Management Nutrition for Sport & Exercise Circuit Training Pilates Fundamentals Pre and Post Natal Nutrition Pre and Post Natal Massage Sports & Remedial Massage Diploma HOW TO SET YOUR OWN GOALS People often think that goals need to be big life-changing achievements, such as buying a bigger house, moving jobs, starting a business, losing a lot of weight, running a marathon, or creating a life that feels truly yours. These ambitions can feel both exciting and overwhelming, with the gap between where you are now and where you want to be feeling a long way off, leaving you unsure where or how to start. Whilst all of these things can be your chosen goals at some point in your life, or a milestone goal, setting smaller goals along the way can be just as rewarding. By setting smaller goals, you not only get to celebrate more often when you achieve them, they are also more likely to be achievable in the first place, or at least within a shorter timeframe, which can help you stay hopeful of achieving the bigger goals too. In this post, we’ll explore how to set meaningful goals that feel manageable, keep you focused, and bring you closer to where you want to be. WHY SET GOALS One of the most important reasons to set goals is that they create outcomes from your ideas. Saying, ‘I want to get fit’ or ‘I’d love to start a business’ is a great starting point, but these ideas alone don’t help you get where you want to be. Goals break down these ideas into more specific aims, like running three times a week or researching how to start a business. When you know what you’re working towards, it’s much easier to make consistent progress. Goals also keep you motivated. Each time you set and achieve a goal – no matter how small – it builds a sense of accomplishment and encourages you to keep going. Celebrating these small wins not only boosts your confidence but also reinforces the belief that you’re capable of accomplishing  the bigger things you want to achieve. Another reason goal setting is so important is that it helps you prioritise. Life can be busy, and it’s easy to get caught up in distractions or waste time on things that don’t really matter to you. Having clear goals acts as a to-do list, allowing you to focus your time and energy on the activities that align with where you want your life to be. WHEN IS A GOOD TIME TO SET GOALS In all honesty, it doesn’t matter when you want to make changes in your life. The important bit is that they are the right changes for you, for the right reasons and that you have the support you need to make these changes realistic and sustainable. A lot of people set themselves goals as a new year resolution and then either forget about them or become deflated because they haven’t achieved them. If you are someone who enjoys the challenge of a new year’s resolution, but haven’t been able to fully commit to and achieve one in the past, it may be because you haven’t spent enough time considering the changes you would like to make. So, instead of waiting until the 1st of January – why not start thinking about it now? Or at any time throughout the year. What would you like to change about your life? What would you be really proud of having achieved this time next year? For example, if your goal is to be able to walk/run 5km then getting outside while the evenings and weekends are warmer and lighter will help you cope with the colder, darker months because your body is already used to the exercise. HOW TO SET YOUR OWN GOALS HAVE THE RIGHT MINDSET It is important to be in the right mindset to set goals and receive change. Ask yourself why you want to make the change you want to set yourself – are these the right reasons for you? Thinking you should and someone else telling you to make certain changes all need to be addressed/processed, but are they the right reasons for you to set this goal and want to make this particular change? For example, comparing yourself to other people which makes you think you should change in some way. Who has told you to make this change – friends/family/society, or a healthcare professional? Do you agree with them? Even if you do agree with them, is this change something you are ready to embark on right now? If not, then it may not be the right time to set yourself this challenge. Think about what is causing you the most amount of stress, worry and/or unhappiness and choose a goal based around this. Or at least be aware of what is creating these feelings and deal with them in some