What are Your Stress Less Goals?

Why Set Goals For Yourself?

Whether or not there is something specific that is on your mind right now (an unattended goal that keeps nagging, for example) I’m sure you have experienced what it is like to have a goal unfulfilled. Worse yet, you may have a goal that you can’t seem to plan out just right so that it even gets a CHANCE to be fulfilled! Let’s eliminate the possibility of that ever happening again, once and for all because…you don’t need the stress!

Admit it, your direction in life certainly changes, and the things you desire to get out of life continually evolve. Whether you’re thinking of making a career change, getting in shape, starting a family or maybe something totally different, identifying your goals and writing them down is the first step to achieving your vision.

You have a human instinct to look ahead and imagine what you will be doing a few months or a few years from now. Follow this natural cue and support your instinct by setting realistic expectations in an organized, workable way.

Anticipating what you want and need and then writing goals based on that information is the key to keeping your everyday actions in line and current with your overall direction.

A Dream with a Deadline

It’s been said that a goal is a dream with a deadline. Since you are the only person who can determine what actions you take throughout the day, it is important that you create a vision and establish goals for that vision.

Setting a goal can help you actually achieve your dream of living a calm, relaxed, less stressful life. Setting a goal can help you identify specific steps you can take. And define steps for next week, in three months, six months and so on.

So, in order to get started successfully living with less stress, take the time now to learn about how to set goals that you can achieve.

Envisioning Your Goals

Planning short, mid, and long-term goals will help you get a complete picture of what you want to achieve. Dividing your goals into realistic time frames reduces the stress of not knowing when they’ll ever be realized.

Short-Term Goals (within 90 days)

Example: Every time you walk by your yard/garden it calls out for some TLC and it’s starting to really bother you. Goal: Plant new flowers/vegetables and make it low maintenance.

Mid-Term Goals (3-18 months)

Example: You have a trip planned to a non-English speaking country and you are worried that you won’t be able to express yourself.

Goal: Learn how to ask directions. Be able to hold a simple conversation, enough so that you cover the essentials in that foreign language.

Long-Term Goals (18 months – as far as you can plan!)

Example: You’ve grown to a point of financial success and would like to spend more of your free time in the countryside.

Goal: Purchase a vacation home near the family’s favorite ski resort within 5 years.

Goal Writing: Goals Need To…

• Be written down – What doesn’t get written down may never be thought of again! Writing goals provides direction and helps you develop a strategy.

• Be very specific – Writing detailed goals helps you better understand your wants and needs.

• Be measured – A goal should include a timeline as to when you will meet certain milestones. In addition to setting short, mid and long-term goals, these milestones will further reduce your stress of expectations on WHEN you want to achieve a specific goal.

• Have deadlines – Every goal should have a deadline. An open-ended goal does not create a sense of urgency.

• Be constantly re-evaluated - The key to staying satisfied with your goals is to make sure that they change as you change

• Be rewarded – When you achieve a goal, it’s important that you take the time to acknowledge your accomplishment. Give yourself more motivation to complete the next goal!

Take This With You: Start a goal sheet for your stress management goals by writing down one of each type: short-term, mid-term and long-term. Be specific, realistic, and give yourself a deadline.

You Can Live With Less Stress!

About the Author

: Carolyn is editor of StressTips Online, the free weekly newsletter available at http://www.better-stress-advice.com

Carolyn brings her proven experience as a professional athlete, mountain bike champion and fitness instructor to down-to-earth tips that help you reduce stress today!

Discover the newest visual and holistic approaches to manage stress and reduce information overload. http://www.better-stress-advice.com

Milly is author of Beyond Words: A Guide to Drawing Out Ideas. She is co-author with Thomas Sechehaye of just-released Design Yourself and SOS: Stress Options and Solutions available at http://www.better-stress-advice.com

Milly and Thomas translate field-tested methods, from 17 years at Hands•On Graphics corporate trainings, to practical tools to help you reduce stress today!

Discover the newest visual and holistic approaches to manage stress and reduce information overload. http://www.better-stress-advice.com