Setting Goals and Finding Bench Marks to Stay Motivated

By Brianna Delaney

There are different times of the year where different priorities take center stage and we find ourselves motivated towards a new goal. It’s exciting and thrilling to think of ourselves as reaching that goal, in whatever time frame we’ve set ourselves, using that boost in adrenaline and endorphins to jump in head first to start reaching it. So how can we set better goals, achieve them and avoid the disappointment that can come so quickly after that initial drive starts to wear off? 

First of all, it’s a great time to reflect on past goals and what you’ve achieved regardless of the goals you set. Considering the last 12months, reflect on special moments and memories and people you are grateful for. Then consider the goals you might have been focused on in that time, did you achieve them? If not, what stood in the way? Determining what held you back from meeting those goals means that we can better remove the obstacles before the next one. 

Secondly, write down exactly what your goals are, be as specific as you can about what it is you are aiming for, when you want to achieve it by, and how you’ll know when you have reached your goals. This way you can plan all the steps to get there in more detail, either working backward from your goal or determining your start point and planning accordingly. Having a plan with detailed steps helps walk before we run. 

Now that you have reflected on past goals and determined a few barriers and you’ve set your new goals with specificity and intention, it’s equally important to determine where you are right now in relation to that goal. Benchmarks are a way for us to know our starting point, helping to refine the stepping stone on the way to that final goal but also help us appreciate how far we’ve come as we move through those steps. For example, if your goal is to run 5km and your benchmark is 500m, your first step won't be to run 2km after a week. Your specificity may come in deciding that you’ll run three times a week and the first week you’ll only do 500m each time. Now you’ve taken an achievable step towards the goal and away from your benchmark without risking going too hard too fast. 

Often with goals, we might get frustrated mid-way through the journey that we aren’t where we think we should be, this is the exact time to remind yourself of your benchmark. If six weeks into your running you aren’t only running three times a week consistently but you’re now running 2km a time, you’ve made huge strides from your starting point. This helps to battle some of the mental blockades and setbacks that we can experience along the way, switching our perspective from ‘why aren’t i there yet?’ to ‘look at what I’ve already done’. 

Creating a balance between motivating ourselves towards our end goal but always appreciating what we have already achieved is a bit of a juggling act, below are some tips on how to better set yourself goals and determine your benchmarks.

1. Using seasons or important dates such as your birthday, summer, or ‘after easter’ as your launch date for your goals may not be the right time. Rather, pick times where you are settled into your routine and you aren’t too busy with projects, holidays and social events, to give yourself a better chance of integrating your steps. 

2. Introduce your changes gradually, whatever your steps may be, don’t overwhelm yourself with change that’s hard to implement after a tough day or de-motivating when you’re tired. Sometimes the best initial step is to form the right habits, if your goal is getting fit, then regardless of whether you spend 5 minutes or 60 when you get there, try just making sure you go to the gym four times a week. Build the habit of going first. Look at your schedule and decide when those 2, 3 or 4 times a week are going to be and once it feels normal, move onto the time spent there. 

3. Starting all your goals at once relates back to that sense of overwhelming change. Prioritize them in some way, either what's important to you or when you want to achieve them.

4. Most importantly, determine why these goals are important to you and have some way of reminding yourself of this regularly. Having a meaningful reason to put in the work and make those changes is key to keeping the fire stocked and motivation levels constant. 

Remember that all progress is something to celebrate, ‘keep your eyes on the prize’ is a great mentality but when you’re feeling stuck or progress is slow, take a minute to look back and appreciate where you started, to acknowledge that benchmark and all the steps you’ve completed so far.