October is significant for your goals because it marks the year’s fourth quarter. Q4, for short, is the finale, home stretch, and last chapter (or insert any idiom to describe a season coming to a close).
Hearing that may come with extreme sadness for some because the goals you set out to accomplish this year haven’t yet passed. Keyword, yet, and that’s what this story is set to address.
Three months are left to achieve what you added to your vision board at the beginning of the year. Though it may seem impossible, we tapped into the mind of certified life coach Jonathan Stamper for his expertise on how to lock down and remain focused on seeing your dreams come to pass this year.
“I would encourage you never to underestimate what can happen in three months!” he opened. “Too often, people give up because they feel they’ve fallen too far behind. Regrets are lessons that have yet to be maximized. Take what you’ve learned from your process, and use it to help you go further!”
Just that statement is inspiring. Now that you’re encouraged to finish strong, it’s time to implement a strategy to maintain the excitement around following your goals. Stamper detailed five ways to help readers do so.
Write Down Your Goals
Get as clear articulation as possible. The more detailed the goal, the more accountable you can be to achieving it. Place them where you can see them. Seeing your goals all around you has a powerful reinforcement effect.
Create A Strategy That Compliments Your Goal
There’s a difference between your goal and your strategy; without a strategy, your goals have no clear path toward achievement. Take the time to find the route that works best for you.
Prepare For Obstacles
Account for as many potential obstacles to your goals as you can foresee. Then, create strategies to prevent or recover from those obstacles! Obstacles are inevitable, so planning for them combats the discouragement when they arise.
Develop Goals Around Your Lifestyle
Develop goals around “lifestyle,” not around “numbers and timelines.” For example, many people set goals of “losing 20 pounds” in 40 days instead of “developing a diet and exercise routine that will help me consistently lose weight.” Clear, measurable objectives are great and can be beneficial motivation tools. Still, if you focus on the increment instead of the lifestyle changes, you’ll often return to a place you don’t desire to be.
Make The Process Fun
When something is fun, it has a much higher chance of being continued! Invite friends as accountability, celebrate when you reach different milestones, and learn to laugh at yourself!
Now that you have the strategy establish your “why.” In Stamper’s experience, “the biggest reason people don’t accomplish their goals is that they haven’t searched deep enough to establish their “why.”
Most of the time, our motivation for our goals doesn’t have enough substance to withstand the resistance of life against us. Whether it’s consistency with a fitness plan, saving money, or repairing a relationship that’s been strained, a strong motivation will ring in your ear when the cost of consistency feels unbearable! When you know in your heart that what you aim for is worth it, it changes the game.”
Who’s ready to turn their life around? Now that you have the strategy applying what you learned is up to you. Stay encouraged; we believe in you!
About the author: Shelby Denise Smith is a full-time Social Media Editor and part-time Freelance Writer. She loves writing about news, wellness, and beauty and hosting impactful conversations with influencers and experts.