Setting Goals for 2024 | Tips from the MindVue Coaches for setting goals that last

Reflection Questions Goal Setting Template Habit Tracker

As the calendar turns its page to a new year, the opportunity for fresh beginnings and personal growth motions us near. And with that comes the powerful practice of goal setting.

Goal setting in a new year can feel overwhelming. And it’s easy to fall into the trap of creating a laundry list of items you want to prioritize, spend more time on, and improve at – none of which will have any life past February.

Effective goal setting is not merely about envisioning lofty goals and walking the straight path to the finish line. Life throws curveballs, and our grand plans might resemble more of a chaotic game of Twister than a straight path to success.

Setting goals involves a strategic alignment with one's values, a commitment to continuous improvement, and the cultivation of a resilient mindset. To encourage and help you in your 2024 goal setting preparation, we asked the MindVue Coaches for advice on setting goals that last.

Here are their responses:

DR. MARY RITZ

1. Reflect on the past year: Celebrate achievements and consider what worked well and what was challenging. Learn from this experience and identify areas of improvement and move confidently to setting your new goals believing you will achieve them.
2. Be realistic: Set realistic and achievable goals and make sure these goals stretch you enough. And remember, setting overly ambitious goals can lead to frustration and disappointment. Consider your current circumstances, resources, and constraints.
3. Be flexible and adaptable: We live and work in an uncertain and ever-changing world; therefore, accept when circumstances are beyond your control and change and adapt accordingly.
4. Incorporate Healthy Habits: Do not sacrifice your health and consider integrating healthy habits into your goals and lifestyle. Whether it’s exercising, maintaining a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, practicing mindfulness - these habits can support your overall well-being and enhance your ability to achieve your goals.

CHRISTIAN SPEARS

Aspire to set goals that align with your values. Setting goals that lead to you adding value and making an impact on things most important to you can result in you feeling more inspired and motivated to continue.

WAYNE HAUENSTEIN

1. Ensure that, when writing your goals, they follow a specific sequence (e.g., SMART - Specific-Measurable-Achievable-Realistic-Time Bound) Rationale: Allows you to track your progress with each goal
2. Find an accountability partner to accompany through your 2024 “journey” Rationale: Enables you to have someone serve as a sounding board for you
3. Regularly revisit your goals to see how you are doing Rationale: As you progress through the year, priorities change; revisiting them allows you to make sure they are relevant and impactful
4. Gain feedback on your goals before you finalize them Rationale: Getting objective third-party feedback will ensure the goals support your growth and development
5. Set new goals when you accomplish your original ones
   Rationale: Avoid setting too many goals up front so you don’t become overwhelmed

DR. ANDREW HAGEMASTER

I encourage people to set moderately difficult goals. If you make them too easy, or attainable, they really won't stretch you and you can lose out on performance or potential gains. Setting a goal that is too difficult can have a demotivating effect on you or your team. Instead, a moderately difficult goal leads to healthy changes in an organization or in your own life in order to meet the goal. Moderately difficult goals also can increase motivation and a sense of satisfaction when the goal is met.

Another tip for setting goals includes breaking the goal into smaller goals that incrementally help you achieve the larger goal. This approach can help the goal seem more manageable and you can celebrate achieving the smaller goals along the way while gaining confidence and seeing progress.

DR. MEG SMITH

1. Recognize and remind yourself of your "Why."
2. Set an intention. An intention is a brief statement, preferably first-person, present-tense that evokes the feelings you associate with your goal. (e.g. "I am worthy." "I love whole-heartedly.")
3. Acknowledge set-backs and the feelings that come with them.
4. Find an accountability partner (or a small team you can rely on).
5. Celebrate successes, both the big ones and the small everyday steps along the way.

DR. CASEY GEIST

Have an accountability partner!

Who helps you get up and meet at the gym in the morning? Who calls you out when you get off track? Who can you lean on when you need help?

After spending enough time blaming myself for falling short of goals and being my hardest critic, I have realized that if I surround myself with great people, they can make me better. I could do it on my own, but even a piece of paper is lighter when it's shared.

Find one person with whom to have a weekly check in.

NEENA JAIN

Personally, I resonate a lot with:

1. Setting a few key goals and not too many. This could look like choosing a few areas of life - like relationships, nutrition, finances - and then setting one SMART goal in each area.
2. Breaking the goal down, working towards incremental changes. What's the one thing you could do today, and then the next day, and the next.
3. Tracking and having an accountability mechanism. Creating a habit tracker on paper, checking in with a friend or support group, and looking at the data. How many days this week did I do something towards my goal? What do I need to change for that to happen? Simply knowing that you have to check-in with someone often adds enough motivation to act.

DR. RUSSELL CLAYTON

Focus on getting 1% better every day (popularized by James Clear). If you can achieve tiny, marginal gains it will lead to a significant, cumulative effect.

DR. TROY MORGAN

One tip I would add for goal setting is to be flexible. If your current method to achieve your goal isn’t working, rethink your approach and make adjustments. For any goal, you must START. Don’t wait for perfection, for affirmation, or to be comfortable.

DR. BRIAN DAVIDSON

Take a look at the people you surround yourself with. Are they pushing you, challenging you, and encouraging you to get better? Are they helping to light the fire within you, or doing the opposite? The people we surround ourselves with can make or break our ability to accomplish our goals.

Work to surround yourself with people who push to make you a better person.

As we journey into 2024 let us embrace the potential for transformation and embark on a fulfilling and purpose-driven journey in the new year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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