We all have many goals, maybe it's to be "successful" or "healthy" or "mindful." Without a clear path and check points along the way, it's easy to get lost on your way to your target.

An important part of goal-setting is the time aspect. Where should you be in 1 week? In 1 month? In 1 year?

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Setting the Goal

It is easy to get lost or overwhelmed by a goal you are trying to achieve. When setting the goal, always attach a time frame to it.

The time aspect is important for a few reasons:

  1. It's easier to measure progress when you have a clear start and finish line.

  2. Changes and development take time. It's important to assign a time to your goal so you understand that changes won't take place overnight, but rather over time.

  3. You can countdown to the finish line!

For example, say your goal is to run a marathon, set a time frame within which you want to accomplish this.

Keep it realistic - do some research and see what time frame is reasonable for what you are trying to achieve.

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I want to run a marathon in 6 months.

Quiz

Which of the following is a good goal?

Breaking Down the Goal

Now that you have set the finish line for your goal, you need to figure out how to get there. The best way to do this, is to break your goal into smaller bites with time frames attached to them too.

Let's take the marathon example. If you'd like to run a full marathon in 6 months, set a goal for week one. How many miles do you want to be able to run then? How about in the first month? Work all the way up to your 6 month mark.

Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash

Now your goal is easily digestible and time-bound. You know where you should be each step of the way and you know when you should re-adjust your training.

Remember, reaching each step of your goal is part of achieving your goal. Celebrate your success along the way and don't overthink failures.

Take Action

Think about your goals - have you given them a time frame? Have you broken them down in to smaller goals with deadlines?

Make sure you set goals that are time-bound, so you know when to celebrate!

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