For most of us, the start of school (or university!) is fast approaching. That means getting organised and slipping back into productive habits. It also unfortunately means the return of homework and exams. Luckily, you can use these tips to overcome the challenges that come with school and achieve your goals!
Think about your priorities + values
When setting goals, make sure to keep your priorities, values, and life goals in mind. This can help prevent you from setting goals that you aren’t passionate about. It can also prevent you from setting irrelevant goals, so you won’t waste any time on them!
Set SMARTer goals
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Making your goals SMARTer has actually been shown to increase your success! While making your goal, ask yourself these questions:
- Is my goal clearly defined?
- Do I know at what point I will have achieved my goal?
- Do I have the abilities and resources to achieve my goal?
- Is my goal relevant to my larger life aims?
- Do I have a specific deadline for my goal?
For example, “I want to be more fit” is not a SMART goal, though it’s a good start. “I want to be able to run a 5k by December” is much SMARTer!
Break your goals down
Once you’ve set your goals, you should try to break them down into tasks + habits. This is an easy way of making your goal seem more achievable! Using the example we discussed above, the tasks + habits for the “running a 5k” would be:
- Buy running shoes
- Create or find a running schedule
- Start running 1k every evening
- Stretch after waking up
Also, try set a rough deadline for each “stage” of your goal to keep you on track – you can note this down on a Gantt chart!
Create habits & systems
A system is a group of habits that can help you achieve a specific goal. Decide on a few habits that will help you reach your goal, but be sure to start small and build them up later. Things like creating environmental cues and setting reminders can make it easier to remember to do your habits, so you’ll be more consistent in working towards your goals.
Make it easy to achieve your goals
Try to surround yourself with people that have similar values, goals, and priorities to you! Make sure your environment sets you up for success – remove distractions like phones or junk food. This is really useful in helping you stay consistent and on-track with your goals, since you’ll be more inclined to work on yourself and your goals!
