How to Set Goals that Stick

Whether you have goals specifically for the new year or are simply interested in setting better goals for yourself throughout the year, there are many strategies we can use to make our goals more effective. One of the biggest challenges that professionals face with goals is maintaining them over the longer term. It’s easy to feel motivated in those first few weeks, but then our commitment may start to fade. It’s the reason so many New Year’s resolutions are forgotten by March. So, what can professionals do now and at any time of the year to strengthen their goals and make them stick? Here are a few important strategies:

Check In

There are many reasons we set goals. Anytime you get started with a new goal, it’s important to clarify why that goal is so important to you. Does it align with certain values? Would it bring you a sense of inner satisfaction to achieve it? The best goals are rooted in you, not in external comparisons or pressures. With only so many hours in the day, there’s only so much time we can devote to our goals. If we set 10 massive goals, we’ll be dividing our energy a lot more than if we set 3. When you set your goals, make sure you’re choosing the things that are most important to you and not distracting from your efforts with goals that aren’t as fulfilling.

Detail Your Plan

It seems so simple, but there is why so many goals go unaccomplished. We set them with the best intentions, but we leave them at a big-picture level, never drilling down to the daily work we’ll need to do to achieve them. This doesn’t hold us accountable day in and day out. Instead, it lets our goals float as lofty ideas, not active parts of our reality. If you want a goal to stick, you need to translate that into what you need to each day to move closer to it. While not every day will be a success, you’ll at least know what you need to do if you want to stay on track.

Monitor Progress

In addition to a plan, it’s also highly valuable to set up a system to track your progress from the start. This is another way to increase accountability and keep your goal a part of your daily life. What milestones do you need to hit? How will you know if you’re moving closer to that end target? Tracking your progress will also give you the opportunity to notice and celebrate the smaller victories you achieve along the way.

Be Flexible

It’s so much better to adjust a goal than to give up on it entirely. This is why flexibility is key. It’s natural that our priorities and motivations will shift over time and it’s important that we’re flexible enough with our goals that they can evolve with us. In addition to just tracking your progress, it’s also important to have some check-in points where you assess your goals and make any adjustments needed to keep you motivated.

What goals are you working on right now? Do you usually set year-long goals and resolutions, or do you prefer shorter-term goals? I’d love to hear what you think. If you’d like to connect directly about strong goals and other tools mortgage professionals can use to succeed, let’s set up a time to talk!