Sticking to goals is key in achieving them, but goals should be a moving target, evolving as the situation, priorities, or consequences change. Our tendency is to set New Year’s goals once a year only to never look at them again. Sometimes the goals we set for ourselves a year, a month, or even a week ago are no longer a good fit, healthy, or appropriate, so it’s important to revisit goals regularly and revise them as necessary.

Last year I set a fitness goal for myself to go kickboxing three times a week. I wanted to get my workout done early in the morning so I didn’t need to worry about it during the day. I had already gotten into the habit of waking up at 5:30 am anyway and I thought exercising and getting my heart pumping would be a great way to start the day. I did the 6 am classes for two months. Although I felt good after each class and I was on my way to achieving my fitness goals, after revisiting my goal in the second month I decided to quit kickboxing.

We are continually told that we need to stick to our goals and see them through, and “quitters” can be seen as weak or less committed to results. However, it’s absolutely necessary to revisit goals on a routine basis to know if they are still serving us. If not, then we absolutely need to decide whether we need to change or abandon the goal. There are a few scenarios where goals will need to be changed or abandoned altogether.

Some goals get in the way of other priorities and objectives.

I realized that I was very tired and unfocused after kickboxing, and a few times caught myself crawling back into bed after my morning shower. But going to bed for another hour made me wake up groggy which didn’t help either. Adding just a half an hour of kickboxing to my morning routine pushed the rest of my schedule back by at least two hours and resulted in lost productivity. When I revisited my goal I realized it made more sense for me to sign up for another fitness activity that allowed me to exercise later in the evenings and weekends.

Some goals depend on other people and external factors.

Sometimes we do not have complete control over our goals as they depend on other plans and schedules – conditions that are normally out of our hands. For example, if you are building a house or renovating a commercial space to open your brick and mortar store, your goal for completion or opening date is often dependent on contractors, city workers, or permit and audit processing times. For these types of projects, it’s good to have a general goal and lay out the plan in as much detail as possible but be aware that this is still an estimate because you do not have control over all the components and the spinning wheels. Some goals require that we factor in more flexibility and adaptability than others. Regularly revisiting these types of goals and making adjustments as necessary ensures that your plan and projections are as realistic and up to date as they can be.

Some goals have negative consequences or are no longer appropriate.

Circumstances may make some goals inappropriate or no longer a fit with our current situation. A coaching client’s big goal was to own and run a yoga studio. She found the partners, got the license, and created a beautiful space in her community. She envisioned her goal, found the right resources, and made it happen. A few years into the business her relationship with her two business partners deteriorated and it became impossible for her to stay invested in the business. She eventually made the difficult choice to walk away for the sake of her mental health and happiness. Sometimes it’s necessary to completely abandon a goal because sticking with it has negative consequences or it’s not appropriate. It doesn’t mean that you are a quitter, it means you had the strength to walk away because you knew better.

We often think of progress as “sticking with it” and not giving up. But in the face of uncertainties, unexpected events, or changing landscapes, goals should be an ever evolving target. We have the freedom, and responsibility to change our goals or sometimes even abandon them all together, if it’s for the better. Because sometimes, progress means letting go.

Setting goals is a vital component of success. When it comes to goal setting, though, we don’t really give it a lot of thought. We often think that we know everything there is to know about it. But research shows that although around 60% of people set goals, only about 8% end up achieving them.

Goals have an enormous potential, but to unlock their power we need to learn how to set goals that turn a desire into actual progress. Here are three techniques you can use during goal setting and planning sessions.

Set SMART Goals

SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. Setting SMART goals helps you identify exactly what it is that you are trying to accomplish. Being specific and pinpointing the exact goal allows you to then start planning the journey to reach your destination. And since the goal is measurable, you know exactly where you are in your journey at all times instead of being lost somewhere in between the start and the end point. SMART goals make you sit down and consider whether the goal is achievable and realistic for you at this time. Do you already have the skills and knowledge to start working on your goals? Or do you need to build some habits and work on some skills before tackling it? And lastly, SMART goals require you to give the goal an expiration date so that you have a clear timeline to work with.

Example:

Increase search engine traffic by 20% in the next six months. We will achieve this by posting 500-600 word blog posts twice a week and building ten high-quality backlinks to those posts by the end of each month.

In the example above notice how the underlined part is the type of goal that people normally set for themselves. It’s all the added details, timing, and how to’s that make the goal SMART.

Find an Accountability Partner

Research shows that out of the 60 percent of people who make New Year’s Resolutions, 77 percent actually stick with their goals for at least a week. It’s not until around mid January that our efforts start to dwindle. That’s when we start to make excuses for why we’re not at the gym when we should be. Having someone we respect and trust as our accountability partner will go a long way in ensuring that we continue with our progress even when things start to get challenging. Set up check-in meetings with your accountability partner on a monthly basis to talk about your progress over the last month and plan your strategy for the upcoming month. The monthly check-ins will help you keep motivated and focused on your progress.

Run an Ad Campaign

Advertising works. That’s why the top 200 advertisers in the US spent a record $163 billion on advertising in 2018, according to Ad Age’s Annual Leading National Advertisers report. Corporations know how the brain works – that if they continually get in front of you, they can change your thoughts, which then means they can change your behavior in enticing you to buy their products or services. We can make use of this knowledge and run an advertising campaign for our goals!

People visualize and think about their future more than they realize but the future that they see is often filled with fear, anxiety, and uncertainty – not exactly the type of advertising you want running inside your brain. Athletes are coached to visualize themselves reaching their goals and overcoming barriers to their success. They not only see themselves winning in their minds, but try to involve their five senses in the visualization to make it as real as possible. They imagine the entire event from running their best race, receiving their medals, or hearing the voices of spectators cheering and feeling all the emotions that come with it.

Get into the habit of looking at your written goals every single day and visualizing that you have achieved them, using as many senses as possible to create a real scenario in your mind.

Be Flexible: Why Your Goals Shouldn’t be Set in Stone