Goal Setting: 5 Day Challenge

Setting goals is something we all do at the beginning of the year with great intentions. So, if you’re like most of us and finding it harder than you thought to achieve these goals, I’d like to invite you to try out this 5 day goal setting challenge.  It’s 5 days – you can do it, and it’s a great way to get your momentum going and kick  your goals into overdrive. 

What’s Goal Setting?

The definition of goal setting is the process of identifying something you want to achieve and documenting that with timeframes around when you’re going to achieve it

Why is goal setting important?

It’s 5 days – you can do it, and it’s a great way to kick-start the new years and your goals into overdrive. 

There are several reasons why goal setting is important:

1. Goals give you direction

2. Goals give you a way to track progress

3. Goals keep you accountable

4. Goals are motivating

5. Goals help you get over mental blocks

Okay, now you understand the theory behind what goal setting is and why goal setting works, let’s get stuck into your 5 day challenge!

Day 1: Deciding What You Want

It’s time to decide what you want and how you’ll get there. Ready? You can accomplish anything you want as long as you put in the effort to get there. You want to run a marathon? You can. You want to start a business? You can. Take out a piece of paper or open a blank document on your computer. Write down three things you really WANT to achieve. 

Day 2: Creating A Goal Setting System

You might have found yourself struggling to achieve your goals in the past because you only set a timeline instead of considering the steps you’ll need to take to get there. Today, look at your goals and create an action planof small, easily repeatable actions that will constantly push you toward your goal. For example, if you want to deepen relationships, create a plan to havie one meaningful conversation every week. 

Day 3: Programming Your Goal Setting Habits

As humans, we are programmed to respond positively to rewards. This is how HABITS are formed. When we receive a reward, we do it again, then get the reward, then do it again. What habits do you want to program into yourself? These should be related to the action plans you have created. The reward can be as simple as ticking a day off on a calendar or drawing a smiley face behind an action you’ve completed – find a reward that works for you. 

Day 4: Planning Your Days

You’ve determined the positive outcomes you want, the action plans that will get you there, and the habits and rewards  associated with each completed action. Now you need to PLAN YOUR DAYS so that you always know what you’ll be doing and when you’ll be doing it. Take out your calendar. Take out the paper where you wrote down the habits for your system. Now you’re going to plug your habits into days in your calendar. This will help you focus on what really matters to you. 

Day 5: Reviewing Your Week

When it comes to building habits, systems, and goals, you’re going to have some wins and losses. This is normal.  At the end of each week, it’s important to perform a weekly review to evaluate your performance and make necessary changes. Think about what has worked for you this week, what didn’t and what energised you. Write it down, keep making progress and enjoy achieving your goals this year!

If you’re finding that you are procrastinating when it comes to goal setting, I’ve got 5 proven tips to help solve this!