The first quarter of the year is coming to an end and it can be a great time to reflect on your goals and how they are progressing. Based on your reflections can help determine your next steps. Here are 4 steps to make sure that you are on track to meet your goals.
Step 1: A realist review of the last 4 months
If you are not aware of where you are and what you currently are doing, it can be incredibly challenging to identify the behaviours that you want to make changes. If you want to change what you are eating, for example, it’s an important first step to become aware of what you’re currently eating, and how that is impacting you. If you have made changes already, how have you felt since making the changes, and were they sustainable? Take a moment to journal about which areas in your life you have already made changes in and which areas you still want to make changes in. The clearer the better. Be brutally honest with where you are now at this moment.
Step 2: Compare where you are now to where you want to be
Now that you are clear about where you are currently, the next step is to compare your current reality to where you want to be in the future. Identify what areas in your life you wish to make changes to. It’s best to only change one or two things at a time, to ensure that the changes that you make last. This way you won’t become overwhelmed and make unsustainable changes.
Step 3: Identity what habits will help you reach your goals
Now that you are clear on what your current state is and what areas you want to make changes to, you can identify which habits will help you reach your goals. Let’s take the example from step one, habits that help you to make changes to your diet could be habits like adding veggies to each meal, incorporating more colourful fruits and veggies, or setting up a balanced plate with complex carbs, proteins, and colourful veggies.
Step 4: Track your progress
Tracking your progress is not only a good way to keep yourself accountable to maintaining changes, especially when they are new habits. It can also give you a chance to see if the habits are something that fits in your life well or if you might need additional support to make those changes sustainable. Tracking your wins is also very motivating as it provides evidence that you are working towards and achieving milestones towards your goals.
After following these 4 steps, you will set yourself up for a successful second quarter of the year. If you are looking for further support with these steps you can reach out to me from the “Contact Me” tab in the toolbar at the top of the page.