After You Set Your Goals

There is a lot of information out there about setting goals – how to make sure they are achievable, exciting, challenging, and measurable. Setting goals is difficult. We have to answer important questions about what we really, truly want. But let me focus on what happens afterwards, when you decide to take action.

Following up on your goals is like hiking:

• Before you go on a hike you have some kind of an idea of where you want to go. You may have a specific place in mind, or your goal may just be to explore a certain area and take pictures. What is your goal?
• You know it’s a good idea to evaluate your “fitness” and decide whether to go for an easy trail or a challenging one. Is your goal doable? Do you have what it takes to succeed? You do want to enjoy it and avoid a burnout, right?
• You pay attention to the weather forecast and pack appropriately. You also collect stuff that you’ll need while you hike, like water and some food. Can you anticipate possible issues with taking the action towards your goal? What can get in the way? How can you be ready for obstacles?
• You’ll most likely go for a hike with friends or family. How can other people be involved and support you in pursuing your goal?
• Once you start hiking, you have to pay attention to each step so that you don’t trip over. As you walk slowly, your breathing will get rhythm; your body will adjust to the movement. You’ll most likely need to take many steps to achieve your goal, so remember—it’s a step-by-step process. Will you be able to adjust your pace based on the difficulty of the task you are working on?
• Depending on your personality, you may focus on the flowers, the texture of the ground, the smell of the air; you may focus on your speed, the way your muscles work; or perhaps you just enjoy joking with the other hikers, enjoying your time together. Can you notice the impact of your personality as you are working on the tasks to get closer to your goal?
• Once in a while you’ll take a break to see where you are, to admire the view of the valley you couldn’t see before, to check your map, to note the weather changes, or to enjoy the quiet moment in the nature. In the same way it’s important that you stop once in a while as you are working on your goal, look up, and notice the progress. How can you acknowledge what you’ve done so far?
• As you hike, you may also need to readjust your plans. The sky gets gray, a friend twists his ankle, it’s getting late, and you may see a lake you’d like to explore rather then going to the summit. It’s the same with the goals. As you are working on them, you learn new information, you may get inspired, or something may force you to stop. What do you have to do to remain flexible?

You don’t need to go to places you don’t like, but very often it pays off to overcome the steep hill in order to see what’s on the other side.