Monthly Personal Goals Review/Reflect (Why should you set mini monthly resolutions instead of ONLY the annual resolutions? )

Imagine, what if you could achieve anything in the new year? What would that be?

In fact, by setting ‘new year's goals’ at the beginning is our annual effort to do precisely that - “start the year off right’!. Isn’t it?

The reality is, people often feel most inspired to begin improvement in the new year by setting resolutions.

However, no matter how motivated we feel to stick to our resolution on January 1, there's a good chance we’ll struggle to reach it. So many of us cannot meet our resolutions. And then, we blame ourselves for being inadequate. But in reality, we aren't inadequate. It's just that we picked a giant annual goal - and big resolutions are really hard to maintain. No wonder we struggle to achieve them. Not changing how we look at our resolutions, is the surest way for us to set ourselves up for failure.?

So how do you set yourself up for success instead?

Setting Goals

As we journey through life, we all desire to better ourselves. We continually practice goal-setting to become better people. It has been proven that people who write their goals down are at least 10 times more successful than those who don’t.

Setting the RIGHT goals

Make them monthly! Simple as that. By setting monthly goals, you break the big giant annual goal into smaller tangible chunks. You give your mind something it can reach for in the immediate term. It tells the mind that there is a sense of urgency about the goal. Yes, it seems like a simple trick, but it works.

Review

Reviewing your progress regularly. If you have done the above step right, this means you will review your progress monthly. Not only does that keep you accountable, it adds loads of motivation to you. And in combination, these increase your chances of achieving what you set out to achieve.

This allows you to reflect on the progress you've made and to identify areas where you may need to make adjustments.

How to review

Follow the 3 R formula - Review, Reflect, Results!

• Review – What was the Goal? What is done? What is not done?
• Reflect – What stopped you? What was missing from your end? What did you learn? Where else is this showing up?
• Results – What will be different from your end? What will you get done and by when??

What I learnt ?

The above process was a powerful process I used for myself. I got great results and achieved my goals with more ease. What it gave me in addition was something I did not expect.?

The review and reflect aspects got me to:

1. See that each month is a mix of good, bad, and ugly moments. By focusing on specific goals, I saw how discrete events and experiences fit into the larger picture of my life.?
2. See that progress is not always linear. Sometimes I made significant strides towards my goals, while other times I missed the mark. By focusing on the goals, I saw these setbacks are not the complete picture, and that they are a normal part of achieving goals.?
3. See and appreciate the wonderful moments more, and to learn from the bad and ugly moments. It helped me to see that even though I may not have achieved all of my goals, I had still made progress and learned valuable lessons along the way.
4. Overcome any procrastination I was experiencing. Since there was a deadline, I acted. The pull, the drive, dedication, and grit just sprung out of me to check things off things from my to-do list
5. Observe my goals for one month looked completely different from those of the previous month. And that is OK. Perhaps one month needed focus on my emotional health while another was all about financial wellness. Whatever the focus was, it kept me moving.?
6. Overall I felt encouraged and motivated to create sustainable habits and set goals that aligned with my values. And each time I achieved one, I built self-confidence. Each achievement was me honoring my commitment to myself.?

Now if you are like me and love Step-by-step guides, here is my cheat sheet procedure:?

• Start with your annual resolutions or goals: Before you set your monthly goals, make sure you clearly understand what you want to achieve in the long-term.
• Break it down: Once you have your annual resolutions or goals, break them down into smaller, more manageable chunks. For example, if your goal is to lose weight, your monthly goal could be to lose a certain amount of weight or to exercise a certain number of times per week.
• Be specific: Make sure your goals are clear, measurable, and specific. This will help you better track your progress and understand what you need to do to achieve them.
• Review your goals: Review the personal goals you set for the month and evaluate your progress towards achieving them.
• Reflect on your successes: Take some time to reflect on what you did well during the month. This can help you build on your strengths and to identify strategies that are effective for achieving your goals.
• Identify areas for improvement: Consider what you did not do well during the month, and identify any areas where you can improve.
• Look at the bigger picture: Remember that progress is not always linear, and sometimes setbacks are a natural part of the process.
• Be grateful: Be sure to note the things you are grateful for, both in terms of progress towards your goals and other aspects of your life.
• Adjust your goals as needed: If you find you are not making progress towards a goal, consider adjusting? it or breaking it down into smaller steps.
• Celebrate your progress: Remember to celebrate your progress, no matter how small it may be. This will help you stay motivated and to feel good about the progress you have made.
• Plan for next month: Based on your reflections, make a plan for the next month, including steps you can take to improve in the areas where you fell short.
• Be honest with yourself: Be honest and realistic when evaluating your progress and identifying areas for improvement. This will help you make more accurate plans for the next month.

In summary, conducting a monthly review of your personal goals is an effective way to track your progress and make adjustments as needed. Reflecting on what you did well, what you did not do well, and what you can do differently can help you to identify patterns and areas for improvement.

The impact that your monthly goals won’t end when the month ends. Your monthly goals can contribute to the long-term ones you set. It's a fantastic approach to break down your big goals into smaller steps, and the monthly goals help you achieve just that.?

Try it. It works!