#GoalDigger Series Post #1: Goal-Setting & Staying on Track

Welcome to my first post of the #goaldigger series! Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing with you how I goal-set, how to find (and keep) motivation, how to stay on track, and how to hold yourself accountable. My life has changed BIG TIME since last March due to several of the ideas I am going to share with you. I'm so excited to help you make 2015 the best year ever.

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Goal-setting can be a scary thing. Here you are, setting these big milestones and accomplishments in place for the future and you might not have any clue how you are going to get there.

But you've gotta start somewhere, otherwise that big goal will be hanging over your head and what was once beautiful and golden can turn into an ugly black cloud.

We don't like clouds here at This MisFIT Mama, so we're going to keep them away.

You want to make a change in your life for the better, but you don't know where to get started.
Staying on track can be difficult. It is easy to come off the rails if you let your internal excuses and external environment get you down.

Here are some tips I've used during the last year to help get me to concrete goals and how I stay on track:

Write It Down

Yes, you're probably rolling your eyes because this SEEMS amateur-ish. You're going to be doing a lot of writing with me. So, write it down. Just your goal. Be tangible. Be specific. Make it measurable.

Is it written down? Good.

Post it somewhere so it is visible to you often. You could hang it on a fridge, or put it on a post-it note and stick it to your computer monitor, or put it in your bathroom so you look at it every day while you brush your teeth. This will be your reminder that you are working toward BIG THINGS!

Work It Through

There are several programs out there than can help you streamline your goal-setting process. One I highly recommend is Chalene Johnson's 30 Day Push. In 30 days, Chalene helps you laser in on a "push goal" and teaches you how to effectively manage your day so you are super-focused in on that goal.

She also talks about "reverse engineering," which I LOVE. Reverse engineering is taking your goal and working backwards. Let's use weight loss as an example. You want to lose 20 pounds this year by December 31, 2015. OK, great. Now let's break it down:

You have 12 months in a year. That's a little less than 2 pounds a month you need to lose.
52 weeks in a year. That's not even a half a pound a week! (See, manageable!)
Develop a plan (on paper) that will help you reach that goal. Work out five times a week and eat six small meals a day. BOOM. Not only is your goal not overwhelming now, but you have a plan broken down into a weekly level so that you KNOW exactly what you'll be doing each week to reach that goal. Make concise, consistent steps that you know you'll complete to work your way to your goal.

I love reverse engineering. I already said that, but it's so true...it's a game-changer.

Visualize It

I am going to get more into this in a later post, but visualizing what your goal looks like makes it more tangible to you. Imagine you have already reached your goal. What does it look like to you. What does it feel like? Spend a couple minutes each day in peace and quiet, thinking about your goal and what it looks like once you've reached it. Picture yourself at that point. Realize that it can be done.

Practicing affirmations and developing a vision board are great ways to practice visualizing your goals. We'll be going deeper into that later, but I wanted to mention it now.

And there you have it! I hope these three tips set you on the right path, and if you want to dig in a little deeper, I ABSOLUTELY recommend the 30 Day Push!

Next post in the #goaldigger series: Finding (and keeping) motivation.