1021 words and approximately 5 minutes of reading time.
Happy New Year you beautiful people
Now that the happiness, madness, fun and stress of the festive period is over, I would like us to think about setting a goal or target for 2020. Setting a goal can give us a useful focus on ourselves and act as a gateway to self-improvement. Target setting is often used this time of year. Many people set New Year Resolutions, such as to get fit, learn a new skill, improve health, become more mindful etc…Target setting is something I do every year as I understand the process of setting and achieving targets. I try to concentrate on things that help me feel good or improve me in some way. But setting goals and targets isn’t always straight forward, and many of us miss out on achieving our targets because we didn’t really understand what it takes to achieve a goal or a target. I believe that the goal or target is only one part of the puzzle, the final piece of a jigsaw if you like, all of the other elements are the process, learning, training or practises we undertake to meet our aim for the new year. I firmly believe that if we set a target, then we should ensure that our target is;
- Realistic and aspirational
- Incremental and measurable
- Observable and shared
- Reflective and experiential
- Mastery and motivational
Realistic and aspirational
We should be aware of our current level of competence when determining our target. However, just because our current level of proficiency is not where we want it, that shouldn’t stop us from stretching ourselves. The critical point here is not to stretch ourselves too far or place too much stress on ourselves trying to achieve our target. We should set aspirational targets, but if they’re too aspirational, then we might not meet them, and the whole target setting process may have a de-motivating impact on us. So by all means stretch, but don’t over-reach.
Incremental and measurable
We should be very clear what our target is but try not to focus only on the endpoint. Know when our goal has been reached and celebrate that, but it will be incredibly useful if we set incremental measuring points along the way. Our target is our outcome. Our plan of what we need to do to achieve our target is our input. For example, if I want to be able to hold a thirty-second handstand consistently, then I might train for a handstand four times per week. The thirty-second handstand is my target, and my training sessions are my incremental inputs. Using that example, I will reach my goal when I can consistently hold a thirty-second handstand, perhaps three out of every five attempts. As I currently cannot hold a handstand for longer than 5 seconds on average, then I need to train and practice. I need both the strength and know-how (proprioception). I can measure my progress and ascertain if my training is taking me in the intended direction. I might want a monthly review of progress to see if I need to alter my training and practice regime.
Observable and shared
This may be a little controversial, but I believe that sometimes a little pressure is a good thing. If we share our target, then we will have to answer to those we share with if we give up before reaching it. Turning that around somewhat, we can use those we share our target with to help us, motivate us or even join in with us, making the whole thing a lot more fun. If you’re in a yoga class, then share your target with your yoga mates, it might motivate them too. I’m certainly going to share my goal with my yoga and pilates classes. I will also encourage everyone else in class to set and share targets. We can then have monthly reviews and have a bit of fun measuring each others progress.
Reflective and experiential
Trying to reach our target should be fun, but more than that, it should teach us something about ourselves. There is a great saying, ‘How we do anything is how we do everything’ (Martha Beck).’ I like this because it makes me critically analyse myself. Am I the type who gives up when the going gets tough or will I dig in and get on with it? This ‘giving up or getting on’, is often the difference between those of us that achieve what we set out to, and those of us who don’t. If our target is to stop doing something or we want to extinguish a bad habit, then rather than stop something, try instead to replace it with a more desirable habit. We should try to observe our progress and also experience how the journey makes us feel. Step outside our comfort zone, challenge ourselves but be mindful on our journey of self-improvement.
Mastery and motivational
Working towards a target is about improving ourselves, the pursuit of knowledge or skill. The quest for knowledge and expertise can be termed the pursuit of mastery, and this is a critical motivational behaviour, it gives us a purpose. It isn’t the actual mastery of something that makes us feel good but the pursuit itself. When we feel good, serotonin is released. Serotonin is the essential hormone of happiness, since it regulates mood, prevents depression, thwarts irritation and makes you happy and sociable.
When all is said and done
Try to choose a goal, resolution or target that will help you improve in some way. Try to have fun in the process. If we are determined, thoughtful, realistic, and we actually reach our target, then we can look back on our journey and hopefully bask in the sweet taste of success. Take the time to reflect on how we feel. What did we learn? Do we feel how we thought we would? Equally, if we don’t achieve our target, then we should be similarly introspective. Did we enjoy the process of working towards or goal? Were we able to find pleasure in the process of learning? Life is tough enough at times, let’s not make it tougher, let’s make it better.