Kristen Woods - Goal Setting

Effective goals are targets we aim to reach, whether it is a learning and productivity goal or a creativity milestone.

By setting goals, whether they're related to treatment or not, can do wonders for self-image and perceptions of self-worth.

These targets are clear, reasonably challenging, and require commitment, time, and space to achieve.

SMART goals have the following characteristics:

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SMART goals improve your chances of success.

One SMART goal may be to work on developing ADD strategies to cope with worsening symptoms.

Specific: I will learn a new ADD coping skill in my house every day at 11 AM.

Measurable: I will mark each day that I succeed on my coping-skills tracker.

Attainable: Each skill will involve listening to an audiobook for 10 minutes each day.

Relevant: The skills are relevant because ADD is one of my biggest challenges.

Timely: I will only set this goal for the next month.

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A useful coping-skills tracker I'm using for ADD.

Questions to ask yourself before starting a goal

1) Why is this goal important to you?

2) Are you ready to commit to something that can be physically, mentally, and emotionally uncomfortable? Why is now the right time?

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Asking "why" is the first step in setting a short or long-term goal.

Another question you can ask yourself is, "Am I ready to be honest with myself about where I am in this moment and where I want to to be at my deadline?".

There are other questions you can ask yourself that are related the SMART acronym, which are listed below.

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Determining whether your goal is a SMART one: Questions to consider before beginning the process.

Strategies for achieving complex goals

1) A positive mindset allows you to maintain motivation during the learning process. Focusing on the process, rather than than the outcome, will make setbacks easier to recover from, and little wins can be seen as critical victories.

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Steps towards positive thinking.

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The end result is exciting, but getting immersed in the process will allow you to grow and persist, even when you slow down or make mistakes.

2) Making sure that your objectives and progress are visible is crucial for staying focused and on top of goals every day.

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Maintain consistency and motivation by keeping your short-term priorities and end goals in plain sight.

3) Practicing visualization is also helpful for working towards a goal because the similar neural pathways are active when imagining an action using our senses (perception) and performing an action.

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Engaging in visualization practices involves using your 5 senses, identifying underlying emotions, and imagining yourself succeed in a variety of ways.

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Neural pathways involved in visualization, perception, and action.

4) Break the goal down into smaller, manageable steps with realistic deadlines.

For my example, each step can consist of one coping skill per day, with a deadline of two hours to find, process, write down, and practice the skill.

At the end of one month, I should have found a total of 30 different strategies with the most effective ones highlighted and practiced thoroughly.

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Making a plan ahead of time with achievable daily steps will make the project less taxing and intimidating.

5) Surround yourself with supportive people who will encourage you, hold you accountable, provide helpful feedback, and give calming reassurance when you need it.

Be sure to reward yourself for the small wins (such as tea at the end of the day). You can celebrate by yourself and with your team.

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The goal-setting process has multiple facets to it, and you do not need to do it alone.