You’ve probably heard that writing your goals down significantly increases the liklihood of actually accomplishing them, right? But do you actually do it?
Most people will set goals, but not everyone writes them down. And of those who DO write them down, many tuck them away in a journal or in a Google Doc that they don’t open until the next year.
To increase your odds of achieving your dreams or goals, you need to keep them “front and center” so that you’re regularly reminded of what you’re working towards. There are a lot of ways to do that, but not every method works best for everyone. Each person is unique and has their own learning style, interests, lifestyle, and habits. Here are a few common techniques for keeping your goals top of mind. Choose one that appeals to you!
Vision boards always gets a lot of buzz around the New Year. Basically, you create a collage full of images and words that represent your dreams or what you want to accomplish in the near future.
Be sure to choose pictures that are meaningful, inspirational, and stir your emotions. You can find images in magazines or even print them from the internet and then spend some time arranging them on a corkboard or glue them to posterboard.
When you’re done, put it somewhere you will see it often…your bedroom dresser, refrigerator, near your front door, or even as the background of your phone.
A unique approach is to use a bunch of picture frames instead of the standard collage, and hang them as art in your home. It’s not exactly what people think of when they hear “vision board,” but it gets the job done.
As much as I love the idea of a vision board, I’ve tried it many times, and it just never worked for me. I’m much more of a list person. I LOVE to cross things off a list. And honestly, I don’t just have one list. I have the same (or similar) lists written in multiple places – a Google Sheet, in my journal, and in the notes app on my phone. I also write down my monthly goals on a notecard that I keep next to my mousepad. Sometimes it ends up as a bookmark. It’s constantly in my space and in my line of sight. I’ve also had success with sticky notes on the window near my work station. (I’ve tried sticking them to the wall and door, but they always fall off!)
If you’re more of a verbal learn than visual, then lists might work better for you.
If you’re the type of person who never looks up from their phone or computer, then forget about putting a physical vision board or list in your house or on your desk. You’ll never look at it. Instead, put it on your phone or computer!
Instead of a physical vision board on your wall, make a digital one using Canva. Instead of a list on a notecard, pin it on your notes app. You can also use an app like Widgetsmith to put meaningful photos, lists, or sayings on your home screen. Or better yet, use your lock screen! And don’t be afraid to change what’s there so you don’t get too used to it.
Or change your desktop background. Change your password to something goal-oriented. Make your Gmail background something meaningful. There are also post-it note apps that will keep a list pinned to your desktop. There are so many ways to do these things digitally, just find a way that works for you.
Sometimes we need a little bit of extra help remembering to look at our goals. Even if we pass it or see it every day, it’s easy to get numb or forget to look intentionally. Scheduling time in your calendar to actively and deliberately review your goals can be a good strategy to keep you on track.
Go ahead and schedule specific days and times in your calendar to review your goals – monthly and quarterly.
Also, have you ever used the “Reminders” app on your iPhone? You can set up inspirational or task-related reminders and they will pop up at the designated time on your phone. I love doing this for the future because I always forget that I’ve done it and when it pops up, it feels like a message from the universe!
Have you tried one of these methods? If not, try one out and see if keeping your goals front and center makes a difference in how quickly you accomplish them!
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