Do you feel stuck? In a rut? Can’t see a way forward?
You aren’t alone. Everyone feels like this at some point in life. But, the good news is, the rut can be temporary if you can find the way out of it. Of course, that depends on you taking action, but what action do you take?
Goal setting is an essential skill to keep you moving forward and progressing through life in a way that is purposeful and enriching. Goals help you believe in yourself and see meaning in your life.
Goal setting can be used in every category of your life:
- Health
- Relationships and home life
- Spiritual fulfilment
- Educational
- Professional
- Financial
- Artistic
- Community and social
One of the main advantages of working with a life coach is that they can help you learn how to set your goals, so you need never feel stuck (at least not for long) again. Ultimately, they’ll help you bridge the gap between your current circumstances and where you’d like to be.
Here’s how:
How to set your goals for the long-term
A life coach will guide you as you figure out the direction you’d like your life to take. This will show you where you need to set your ‘big picture’ goals (like achieving a certain level in your career, buying a house, starting your own business etc.)
They will help you determine how you will measure your goals, realize ideal and realistic timeframes for achieving them and make sure they are relevant to your overall desired life direction.
It’s a great feeling to achieve clarity on this; however, setting your long-term goals is only the first step in the process.
Identify and set short-term goals
For big-picture goals to be achievable, you need to take small, measured steps. Consistently taking purposeful action is key to moving forward – otherwise, your long-term goals may always remain where they are – in the long-term.
A life coach can help you identify and set short-term goals, also called “stepping stones.” These will help you feel as though you are making progress towards your bigger goals while giving you a sense of achievement and fulfilment along the way.
After all, life is a journey, not a destination.
Determine action plans for each goal
Where many people come unstuck is after they have set their goals. The problem lies not so much in determining how to set your goals, but in how to take action to ensure you achieve them. Even though you should be proud you have taken steps to set goals; you still need to put in the work.
Knowing when and how you will take action in order to achieve each goal is critical. That’s the advantage of having the guidance of a life coach. Your coach will show you how to break each stepping stone down into specific actions and determine what you will need to do daily or weekly.
Importantly, they will also be able to help pinpoint potential barriers that may stand in the way and guide you to find solutions, so those barriers don’t prevent you from achieving your goals.
Stay accountable
Perhaps what people who seek the guidance of a life coach find most helpful is that a coach will help you remain accountable, while learning to be self-disciplined. Having someone to check in with at critical points in your progress will be a motivating factor for you to stick to the plan and remain on target.
A coach will help you overcome new obstacles that may appear in your path and encourage you to stay motivated.
Setting goals is an important life skill, but it’s rarely taught to us as we grow up. Working with a life coach will arm you with the tools you need to set goals now and into the future.
In the comments, let me know if you’ve ever struggled to understand how to set your goals.
Leave a Reply