It’s now mid-May and many New Year’s Resolutions are out of the window. For me, I’ve used the end of the year as an overview for achievements and looked at my goals for the New Year and the next year’s ahead. Rather than a mainly short-term change, I’m nowadays focusing on far reaching and long-term changes helping me to live the life I’m dreaming of.

When determining your goals, you automatically look at your dreams. But what do you want? Have you sat down and thought about your vision for your future? Defining your vision and setting goals gives you a long-term view as well as short-term motivation and actions. It’s been proven that writing goals down will increase your achievements, yet, only 3% currently have their goals documented in writing.

Thinking of your home and office, use these questions to set your goals:

Define the ideal state:

• What do you expect from the space in your home and office? A quiet office area where you can record interviews? A relaxing and calming bedroom? A dining table where you and your partner can actually dine without having to remove the paper piles?
• How you want the space to make you feel?
• Involve your partner or family in creating the vision. Sharing the home with them, they may have a different view. You’ll need to work together in getting aligned.
• The same obviously also goes for your business partners or colleagues.

Look at the now:

• Looking at the space, what do you see?
• Evaluate whether the current state matches your ideal state. Are your home or office, your stuff or the way you’re organising yourself (and others) bringing you closer to where you’d like to be?
• If they’re not helping you achieve your vision, get rid of them.

Break it down:

• Set smaller SMART goals to achieve your bigger goal.
• Specific: What exactly do I want to do? Rather than saying “I want to have an organised wardrobe.” say “I want to sort my wardrobe and keep only clothes which fit and make me feel good.”
• Measurable: How can I tell if the goal has been achieved? All the clothes I no longer wear or like are removed from the wardrobe (donated, sold or thrown out). Only the pieces I like and wear have been kept.
• Attainable: What actions will I take? I’ll set Saturday aside and will work through the trousers, dresses and skirts, blouses and shirts, jumpers and jackets. Anything that’s worn, stained or torn, I won’t keep. The same goes for clothes that don’t make me feel good or are no longer in style. I’ll put hangable clothes on a hanger and fold the others according to my preferences.
• Realistic: How realistic is my plan? Yes, I can organise my wardrobe. And I’m motivated enough to also spend 15 minutes a week to keep it organised!
• Time bound: When will I complete this? By the end of this month.

Tada, you’ve your SMART goal: “By the end of the month, I want to have an organised wardrobe, with only clothes that fit me and make me feel beautiful, with clothes sorted by category and easy to reach every time I open the doors.”

Reward yourself:

• When you’ve achieved a smaller goal, recognise your achievement!
• Reaching your larger goals, how are you going to celebrate your success? A new good read, a massage or day at a spa, a fancy dinner with your partner or family?

What’s your experience setting personal goals for yourself? Share your story in the comment box.

Until next time,

Agni