How to set goals without becoming overwhelmed
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For years I was one of those people who would buy goal-setting diaries each December and fill them with a ton of goals for the next year. Three months into the year I would feel overwhelmed and exhausted trying to juggle too many things at once. At the end of each year, I’d look back and wonder where all those months had gone and how I had managed to be so unproductive.
It took me several years to realise setting the goals was the culprit. At my best guess, I’m not the only one who’s feeling like this. Research has shown that only 77% of people keep their New Years solutions for one week, but only 19% follow through with them for two years. Reasons for not keeping up with goals included lack of personal control, negative emotions and excessive stress. Sounds like fun? Yeah, Nah.
Last year I tried something different and ditched goal-setting altogether.
What followed was my most productive year yet. I went from couch potato to half marathon runner in 10 weeks, I got promoted at work, my freelance writing became regular and I bought a house. More importantly, I felt far less anxious.
This year I reintroduced some goals back into my life, and just like previous years, I’ve gone rogue on them before the year is even over. Turns out I’m just really not a fan of being told what to do, not by someone else or myself. But I also realised something else; goals can serve a purpose if they’re realistic, achievable and if you feel motivated to reach them.
I’ve rounded up a few tips to help you set goals without becoming overwhelmed.
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Make your goals SMART
If you’re putting effort into setting a goal for yourself, do yourself a favour and make sure it’s anything but vague. You can use the SMART acronym to really flesh it out. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. It can mean different things to different people, so here’s a summary:
Specific (or sensible, significant, simple)
What do you want to accomplish? Why is it important? Who needs to be involved, other than you? What resources are needed to achieve the goal? Where will achieving the goal lead you?
Measurable (or motivating, meaningful)
How will you measure success? Creating several smaller milestones before your end goal will help create a sense of achievement and help you feel motivated.
Achievable (attainable)
Can you accomplish the goal you’ve set? Be honest with yourself. If the answer is no, what can you change to make it more achievable?
Relevant (realistic, results-based)
This is a big one for me. I change my mind a lot, and I often find the goals I never achieve are ones that weren’t important to me in the first place. Ask yourself if the goal you’re setting is worthwhile to you, and why. Is it the right time to be working towards it?
Time-bound (timely, time-sensitive)
Setting a “time limit” on achieving your goal can be anxiety-inducing, but I’ve found it can also work in your advantage. Set an end-date and break your goal up in smaller, more achievable chunks with mini-deadlines throughout. It will help you keep an end in mind and work more patiently towards it.
Prioritise what you want to achieve
Unless you’re superwoman, superman or Frodo, you can’t do everything at once. Even *Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory* needs to prioritise in order to get stuff done. If you feel like you’re not getting ahead if an A4 isn’t filled with goals at the start of every year, think about it this way: if you feel overwhelmed (I’ve been there!), you’re more likely to want to quit before reaching your goal.
What does that leave you with at the end of the year? Nothing but stress and anxiety. The chance of achieving a goal is much higher if you aim to accomplish one or two things instead of 10. Take it easy on yourself!
Consistency is key
Figure out what it is that you want to work towards, and then break the goal up in little pieces. Figure out what smaller milestones you can reach throughout the year. Keep at it. Patience (and consistency) really is key. Your hard work will pay off.
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This week’s great reads
I think it’s important to read widely, so you can expect to find a broad range of topics in this list every week:
Freelance/contracting jobs opportunities
I think cold pitching companies and publications you’d love to write for is a great way to grow your confidence and your network, but if you’re keen on “warmer” leads - here are a few opportunities I found.
Write about gardening and horticulture for Gardenerspath.com
Apply for a physics and technology feature editor role at New Scientist
Note: I try to only include opportunities that are decent and well-paid. However, more often than not rates, unfortunately, aren’t discussed in the call for pitches/writers. You can check Who Pays Writers? or Contently’s freelance rates database to see if the publication or organisation is listed and what they tend to pay.
That’s it for this week’s WordCount! If you’ve enjoyed reading this edition, please feel free to share it with fellow freelance writers. Or have a look at last week’s newsletter.