How to Get Unstuck with Your Goals this Year

What do you think about new years resolutions?

For years it felt kind of like I was throwing darts at a moving target. My hopes and aspirations either didn’t stick or I was stuck trying to move to the next step. Have you ever felt that way?

Why do we set goals, anyway? Is it just because it’s the thing to do, or are we looking to make changes and become better?

Our goals are too important just to let them slide, but for a goal to stick it needs to be more than an item to check off a to-do list. Gaining traction to make progress is simpler than you think. There are proven strategies to help get you unstuck with your goals and moving towards becoming the person you want to be.

My husband often refers to the small hinge effect. If you think of the movement you see within a hinge, it doesn’t seem to amount to very much. But if you look at the end of the door and the total motion a small hinge can make there is a big difference. Goal setting is about finding the right hinge so you can make significant changes.

Getting Unstuck with Your Goals

S.M.A.R.T goals are often discussed when it comes to getting unstuck with your goals. They are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. My favorite resource for achieving S.M.A.R.T goals is The Freedom Journal by John Lee Dumas. It contains a step by step process to reach a smart goal. Packed with inspirational quotes, the Freedom Journal is the resource to guide you in mastering your productivity, focus, and discipline in 100 days.

S.M.A.R.T. is a great way to begin looking at a goal, but I want to offer you a little bit more. These additional five strategies can help to take you from setting your goals to reaching them.

1 | Get specific

Nothing new here, right? The best way to make real and lasting change is to get specific. What do you want? Why? Define it, digging deep to find the specific things you genuinely want to accomplish. Vague aspirations don’t get us where we want to go.

Specificity matters because it makes our aspirations actionable.” — Michael Hyatt