Goal Setting

 “A goal should scare you a little, and excite you A LOT” - Joe Vitale 

We learn about setting goals at a very young age. From the moment we are asked “What do you want to be when you grow up?” goals follow us throughout life both personally and professionally. 

It’s important to consciously set goals and revisit them to measure your progress. Goals can be set on almost any topic that can impact any area of your life. Maybe you’re saving up to buy a new car or run a marathon by the time you’re 30. Maybe it’s a job status you’re looking to achieve by a certain point or committing to living a healthy lifestyle.

Determine the goal or set of goals

Consider what you want to achieve, then commit to it. Set a variety of goals. Create your “big picture” of what you want your life to look like. Then break those down into smaller targets to assist you in reaching your lifetime goals. Once you have your plan, then start working on it. Your dreams don’t work unless you do.  

Here are some ideas to get you started: 

Career, what is your dream job? What are the steps you need to take to get there?

Financial, how much do you want to earn and save and by when? 

Education - What level of education or knowledge do you want to acquire? 

Family, Do you want to be married and be a mother or father?

Health & Wellness - Where you want to be physically and what are you willing to do to get there?

Travel - Where do you want to travel and what do you need to do to get there?

Skills - Is there anything you’ve been wanting to try or get better at?

When to set goals

We frequently hear people talk about their New Year’s Resolutions. This is a great time to think about the year ahead and set goals you want to accomplish during that year. Aim to prioritize 3-4 large scale goals for New Years. For example, in 2016  I set three pretty lofty goals for the year. They were 1) Buy a new car, 2) Get promoted, 3) Move. Three huge goals for one year. I did not accomplish these goals in 2016, but succeeded in 2017 within the first six months. 

The good news is you don’t always need a new year to set goals. Set them quarterly/seasonally, monthly, weekly, and/or daily. Personally, I love daily goals. Create to-do’s lists of things you need to get done on certain days. These lists can be created in your phone or by keeping a physical list with pen and paper. I have note pads all over my house!

Make it visual 

Fewer than 20% of people describe their goals in written form. Writing your goals out helps you make a commitment. Studies say you’re nearly 50% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down. Not only does writing down goals force you to become very clear on exactly you want to accomplish, but it also plays a huge role in motivating you to complete the task necessary in accomplishing your goal. Write your goals on sticky notes and post them on the bathroom mirror or create a vision board and put it in a spot in your home where it is visible every day. 

Set SMART Goals 

Write your goals using the SMART mnemonic to make them more powerful and impactful. There are many different variations of SMART, but generally stands for:

S - Specific

M - Measurable 

A - Attainable

R - Relevant 

T - Trackable 

For example take a goal  “I want to win Miss International” and change it into a more powerful SMART goal “I want to win my state title and then win the Miss International title by 2022.” This is specific, attainable and concise. You can do anything you put your mind to and achieve any goal you set. 

Thanks for reading. I’d love to hear from you: missintl2020@gmail.com Stay happy, healthy, and grounded Mind. Heart. Body.

Megan Vladic

Miss International 2020