There are those days where I make a list of 1000+ goals I want to achieve, yet with luck I might achieve one of them. I’m not talking about daily to-do lists, but more along the lines of a list of new hobbies I want to pursue. In the past, I set aside new challenging tasks for sometime later in the future because it didn’t seem like something I would be able to do in the present. If anything, that was just a way to subconsciously procrastinate the cultivation of my skills and pursuit of my interests on account of the fear of failing. I eventually decided that if I never pursue the goals I want to right now, then I’ll keep delaying them for the rest of my life waiting for the “perfect time” to try something new.
As I set forward to take some risks and explore my interests, I realized that for me personally, it wasn’t all that easy to set aside time to try something new and I had to push myself to continue when things got too difficult. After doing some introspective thinking, I’ve compiled some steps on how to create a list of goals that you’ll actually commit to achieving:
Step 1: Motivation
For those who don’t know where to begin, it’s important to set goals that mean something to you, reflect on who you are and who you would like to be. If these goals don’t make you excited or don’t align with topics you’re interested in, then obviously, you’re less likely to pursue them. The interests you choose to pursue should be things that will teach you, help you grow as a person and make you proud.
Step 2: Specificity
“Be more artsy.”
“Get in shape!”
“Become smarter.”
Setting goals that are vague won’t get you anywhere unless you come up with specifics. I’ve learned that to achieve the larger outcome, it’s necessary to come up with smaller steps that will lead you to the final destination. For example, if you want to learn how to play a new instrument, come up with small steps relating to learning the notes, setting days to practice and determining how much effort to invest based on the desired level of proficiency. And remember, everyone’s end goal is different, so some steps that might help a friend work towards their goals may not be the same for you.
Step 3: Time
I think the hardest obstacle on my way to pursuing new hobbies is that I struggle to find time, and I always find excuses or idle on my phone when I do have time. I’ve realized that you genuinely have to just sit down and get to work; you’ll never have time unless you make time to do something. I know it sounds easier said than done, which is why it’s easier to start with smaller chunks of time in between homework or other activities so that way you don’t feel like all your time is escaping. As you move forward, you’ll eventually improve at dedicating your time to your self-interests and prioritizing your self-growth as an additional commitment.
Step 4: Accountability
Making time for myself was so difficult because I’m the only person holding myself accountable for the pursuit of my goals, and I could just as easily dismiss the lack of effort and attention I was giving to myself. One thing that helped me was using a habit tracker in my bullet journal to keep track of goals I wanted to achieve and write out the necessary steps to do so. By using a monthly tracker, I was able to fill out the days where I invested effort in a new hobby, and the simple act of filling in a box visually depicted my progress and what I could improve on. That’s helped me stay committed to doing things that contribute to my personal growth, which is my ultimate end goal.
Don’t worry if the progress is slow and doesn’t show itself instantly; simply documenting some effort you put in is enough to make you aware of the growth from the beginning to the present.
Once you identify why you set the goals you do and how they’ll contribute to your happiness, it makes the process less daunting as you realize that you set these goals to make you better as a person. It will make you proud of yourself for staying committed to learning something new. You will overcome the fear of failure and finally pursue your dreams in the present moment, rather than wasting precious time in waiting for a perfect future.