As the New Year approaches, goals are everywhere.
For many people, this period is quite stressful. We see and read summaries of achievements from our friends, acquaintances, and social media followers, and inevitably, we compare ourselves.
“How did someone manage to (insert what), and I didn\u2019t?”<\/p>\n\n
Even if surviving the year is an achievement in itself\u2014especially if we faced difficult, unexpected circumstances\u2014we cannot help but wonder: Does not achieving everything we planned mean we are failures or incapable? <\/p>\n\n
Or do we not know how to set goals properly? Do we struggle with planning and execution? Or is something missing? Maybe there is some methodology that guarantees results that we just haven\u2019t heard of. <\/p>\n\n
I don\u2019t have a magical formula, a secret methodology, or a course on setting goals that guarantees success.
This text is for all of you (us) who find this process stressful because we\u2019ve been told that it must be done in a certain way.
One of the first goal-setting courses I attended taught me that a goal must be: This formula is useful in some situations, but it doesn\u2019t apply to everything. Not everything can be measured or time-limited. The biggest flaw of this formula is that it doesn\u2019t take emotions into account. <\/p>\n\n A typical example: I want to lose 5kg in the next three months.<\/em><\/p>\n\n If you ask me, a better goal\u2014though not strictly SMART\u2014would be: I want to learn how to eat healthily and maintain a weight between X and Y kg while feeling good, healthy, and fit. <\/em><\/p>\n\n Life has many layers, levels, and aspects. We can\u2019t always push forward in every area at the same time. Sometimes, one part of our life needs to be paused or even taken a step back so another can thrive. <\/p>\n\n A completely valid goal can be to work less, to have fewer clients, or to work fewer hours\u2014but on projects where you can make a greater impact or that align better with your values and purpose. Or rather, with what society expects you to be doing at a certain age. It must follow a predetermined order: You must watch out for questions like: \u201cYou\u2019re not seriously planning to (insert your \u2018unconventional\u2019 goal) now, are you?\u201d Once you set a goal, you must plan exactly how to get there\u2014otherwise, setting it is pointless.<\/p>\n\n The truth is, we\u2019re often more confused than certain about how to reach our goals. What\u2019s far more important is knowing where we want to go and staying open to the path revealing itself along the way.<\/p>\n\n Example: After leaving the corporate world, my goal was to have flexible working hours, to work from anywhere, to have unlimited vacation days, to earn more than I spend (so I could save every month), to work 4-5 hours a day on average, to have freedom in my work (as opposed to micromanagement and control), to do what I love and enjoy, and to work with inspiring people I get along with and can learn from. At the time, all of this seemed more like a dream than a real goal. I had no idea how to get there or where to find such a job. So, I created one. I didn\u2019t know how I would do it in advance. But I knew exactly how I wanted to live. Circumstances change constantly, and it\u2019s completely okay to modify a goal, change your mind, or give up on something that no longer feels right\u2014or if the price you\u2019d have to pay for it is too high. Example: I once wanted to complete a master\u2019s degree abroad. I applied to a prestigious university in the UK and sought a full scholarship. After a long process that required effort and passing certain exams, I was accepted into the program\u2014but I didn\u2019t get the scholarship. Instead of following strict rules, methodologies, and strategies, we should follow ourselves and turn inward. Do I truly want this, or do I just think it will be good for my ego\u2014because others will see that I achieved\/did it?<\/p>\n\n For example: Or is it something I\u2019ve been told my whole life that I should want? Am I being pressured by society, my environment, or my parents? For example: What will I gain when I achieve it? What is the true outcome of the goal? Why do I want it now? Why is now the right time? This will help you understand your motivation and determine whether your goal comes from your heart or your ego. How does your life\u2014or the specific area of life your goal relates to\u2014look? Who is around you? What are you doing? How are you living? <\/p>\n\n How do you feel (when you already have what you desire)? Anything you want is possible. Goals are powerful. They become even more so when we put them on paper and revisit them\u2014they become our map and guide to where we want to go. Many people dislike or avoid this process because, deep down, they fear failure\u2014especially if a goal is too rigid and they follow all the \u201cinstructions\u201d to set it as ambitious as possible. So, don\u2019t let goals become a burden and a source of stress. Instead, let them inspire you. If a goal doesn\u2019t excite you or doesn\u2019t feel right, it\u2019s not yours\u2014or it\u2019s not the right time for it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As the New Year approaches, goals are everywhere. For many people, this period is quite stressful. We see and read summaries of achievements from our friends, acquaintances, and social media followers, and inevitably, we compare ourselves. “How did someone manage to (insert what), and I didn\u2019t?” Even if surviving the year is an achievement in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[413,451],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3447","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-iskustvo-en","category-life-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/anabrzakovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3447","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/anabrzakovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/anabrzakovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anabrzakovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anabrzakovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3447"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/anabrzakovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3447\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3454,"href":"https:\/\/anabrzakovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3447\/revisions\/3454"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/anabrzakovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anabrzakovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3447"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anabrzakovic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}It Has to Be More Ambitious, Bigger, and Higher Than the Last One<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
It Has to Align with Your Age<\/strong> <\/h4>\n\n
You Must Know How to Achieve the Goal<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
You Must Stick to the Goal and Achieve It, or You\u2019re a Failure<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
From Stress<\/a> to Inspiration: Goals as a Guide, Not a Burden<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
Is this goal coming from my ego or my soul?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
Is this goal truly mine?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
Why is this goal important to me? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
Visualize It Clearly and Feel It<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
There is no single right way to set goals<\/h3>\n\n
<\/h2>\n\n