By: Nicole A. Published on July 8, 2021
I can definitely admit to creating goals for myself and not pulling through with them. Thinking, I wanna do this, I’m going to do that, and becoming disappointed in myself when its weeks later and I never did it. I realized that at the end of the day, a lot of it was in my control, and I was making the choice to not put in effort into whatever I was envisioning. I would wake up, have a “plan” for my day, and do the things I had to do (daily routine, work, assignments, etc.). By the end of the day, I was “too tired” or “just wanted to relax”. Some days this was true and needed, but more times than not I was just making excuses for myself.
So, I figured I needed to fix something. I tried to switch up my whole mentality, try to devote a whole day just to that one thing, and just dive in. This I felt, was a short term solution. It helped me to do something, but ultimately I would end up in a similar place that I was in before. What I learned… was to take things day by day. The things I talk about below, is what helps me push myself, reminders, and how I get myself back on track.
This is not a complete list but I figured I would keep it short and simple so I wouldn’t take up too much of your time 🙂
1.Stop beating yourself up
If you haven’t finished something you started a long time ago, it’s okay. We have our lives and priorities that may fall before whatever you’re trying to focus on. Just try to remember that no-one is perfect and all you have to do is make an effort. A little goes a long way. Starting today will be better than not starting at all.
You also might be seeing people on social media or around you who are doing what you want or moving faster. 1, Social media is not always what it seems, and 2, everyone is at moving at their own pace and have their own things aligned up for them. Be patient and focus on yourself.
2. Utilize your resources
There is a lot of help that may be available to you and you may not know. For me, using my blog as an example, one of the most helpful things in learning and teaching myself was reading other bloggers’ pages and watching tutorials and videos. Even the hosting site I use has a help center that really came in handy when I wanted to give up on trying by myself. Everything is a work in progress. Even if your goal is different, if its exercise, a new passion, helping yourself, etc… the first step is learning more. There are more things than you know around you, you just have to look for them and be open.
3. Start “small”
Setting big goals is amazing and I don’t think you should ever stop doing that. In order to reach those, it’s helpful to create smaller goals to help you get there. The reason I put “small” in quotations is because these actions/goals are not insignificant or little. It is because they might not seem like huge steps compared to the bigger picture. Even if you’re unsure of what goals to set, devoting small actions every day make a huge difference. You’re creating a strong foundation for yourself, practicing habits, and getting into a productive routine, whether its 5 minutes a day or a few hours.
4. Find/Create a good environment
Sometimes it’s hard to find somewhere you can focus and really put the time in to do what you need to do. It can also be hard if you have multiple people in a household or live a busy life. Find out what works for you. If you prefer sitting down and doing your work for long chunks of time, try to maintain a clean space for that. If you are more on-the-go then make sure the things you need are accessible. For me, carrying a journal/planner helps just because sometimes I end up in places that give me a lot of peace and would be a perfect time for me to create, and if I didn’t have those materials accessible I probably wouldn’t do it.
5. Find a method that works for you
A lot of social media will try to provide you solutions assuming “one size fits all”. Sometimes, these solutions do work out, but others, might make you feel doubtful after trying because it was supposed to be tried and true right? Talk to other people, explore your options, and build your knowledge so that even if things don’t work, you can know you tried and can move on. Diets, workouts, routines, etc… are not made to work for all. But, even learning a little from different things can help you create your own method.
6. Surround yourself with good people
It might be something that seems obvious, but being around people who have similar interests or even just people who are uplifting and supportive makes a huge difference. If you don’t have a lot of people around you that you feel like you could go to, it could be helpful to try to reach out to people on social media or groups and get out of your comfort zone a little. It could be hard, but maybe even making a step to follow people or watch videos and read books that interest you might give you that same support or motivation you need.
7. Do what makes you happy
I don’t care if it sounds cliché, but do what makes you happy and feel good. At the end of the day, you’ve got to give yourself sometime for you and doing something you’re passionate about. One of the most important parts of self care, in my opinion, is making sure you are devoting time for yourself and your own dreams, even if it’s a little at a time.
