Want to know how to stay committed to your goals?

Give this 3 steps guide a try!

Can you hear yourself saying things like:

I will do ............ as soon as ............ (the house gets paid, kids finish high school, I find a partner, I finish my career, I get that promotion, I change jobs. Fill in the blanks with your own reason/s).

Many of us live our lives while holding our breath and postpone our goals, waiting for "better conditions"

It is challenging to find individual fulfillment in the demanding world we live in. Being pulled in 40 different directions by responsibilities, family, friends, job...

However, it is possible to live a fulfilling life right where you are at, even while making plans to transform and evolve.

#1 - Make sure your goals are fulfilling

Fulfillment means to be wholly alive, doing what is right for you at every situation.

It is the expression of your core values, your life purpose, your passions and your dreams.

It has a unique meaning for each one of us.

For committing to your goals, you need to make sure they are aligned to your purpose, your passions, your values, your dreams. Otherwise, it is pointless to sustain the effort to achieve them and, sooner or later, the commitment drops.

Let's start by getting clear on what fulfillment means to YOU.

To explore your unique definition, reflect on the following questions:

• Who am I when I am most alive? What do I do? How do i express that aliveness?

• What activities have heart & meaning for me? What nourishes me?

• What do I want for myself?

• What about that is important for me?

• What are my core values? How much of them do I bring into my day?

Answer the questions as if you would have no one to give explanations to, no responsibilities involved, money is not a thing, time either… just you and what you want. The answers are for yourself.

#2 - Draw your wheel and decide where to start!

Now that you know what gives you fulfillment, how to decide where to start to build a fulfilled life?

Let me introduce you to the Wheel of Life:

How does it work?

The wheel shows different areas of life. There is a blank one for you to put the aspect you want or to split any of the combined ones (for example, you might want to represent Family and Friends by separate).

Seeing the center of the wheel as 1 and the outer edge as 10, rank your level of satisfaction with each life area.

Once all the areas were scored, connect the dots drawing a new outer edge.

The less the difference in satisfaction amongst the different areas, the smoother the ride. It is not needed to have all 10’s, but what is needed is balance and a certain size on the wheel to make a pleasant journey.

• How does your wheel look like? How bumpy is the ride? Is your life balanced?

• In which area of your life are you willing to make a change?

• Which level of satisfaction do you want to achieve in it?

• How will you know you got to that level of satisfaction? What do you have there? How do you feel there?

#3 - Make it happen!

You know what gives you fulfilment. You know which area of your life you want to improve the level of satisfaction. Is time to get into action!!

What do you commit* to create in that area of your life?

*Commitment is a state of being you want to create in your life. Has no specific point in time to achieve it and it is not measurable. Take as an example of increasing satisfaction on the “health” area. The commitment would look like “I am committed to lead a healthier life”

I commit to ........

Which action/s, if taken on a regular basis (daily habits)*, would make a difference in that aspect of your life?

*Daily habits form the foundation upon which major change takes place. Coming back to the “healthier life example”, the actions could be: walk three times a week, spend more time outdoors, take vitamins, etc.

I will ....

Which goals* can you set to achieve the level of satisfaction you envisioned in your wheel of life?

* Goals include what will be done and by when.

Are the landmark to use as you move forward in life. Are a way of measuring progress and evaluating effectiveness of your actions.

GOAL By WHEN

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Don't forget to celebrate each goal achievement!

But, if you didn’t reach the goal, check:

Are you truly committed to that goal? (It is OK if you are not. Just be honest)

Are the actions you chose appropriate? Do you need to make adjustments?

I encourage you to set exciting, challenging goals and to welcome the occasional failure that inevitably accompanies this courageous endeavor.