Start Achieving Goals Successfully

S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Reasonable, and Timeframe) goals is something we all have heard.

For as long as I can remember, I have always found it extremely difficult to set any goals. Baffled by the struggle I felt around goals. I insisted on not believing in goals, due to this internal struggle.

Time and time again I would find myself setting an achievable goal and then be disappointed that I didn’t reach it.

What might be stopping you from setting goals

Factors that play a role in my struggle, is motivation. I am not money, or prize motivated. When I set a goal it always sounds nice. A cycle of super motivation, to struggling a little, not seeing the results I want, followed by not reaching my goal.

I often felt disappointed, discouraged, and eventually overwhelmed to even think about goals due to the lack of progress.

Not setting goals was a way that I coped with my lack of success. It felt like a constant state of survival treading water to survive the day. Existing day to day without any purpose.

Finally one day I woke up!

Exhausted I couldn’t continue treading the tide of life any longer. I often thought if I could just stick to a goal life would be better.

This lack of direction showed me that I something needed to change. It was time to think out of the box. Reflecting on my previous attempts and what hasn’t worked. I decided to create my own planner that I could use to track these goals.

Tools to help you start setting goals

I designed, The Barakah Book a Muslimah Planner. It provides a clearly defined space to express an end goal then reverse engineer the tasks needed to achieve it. The book provides a place for goals, tasks, and then journaling, to bring clarity and focus around what you truly want. The key factor in this planner is the journaling process. In this space the true magic happens and reveals exactly what is needed.

Through this process I discovered the true secret to success is not always in the setting of goals. Success is in the actions towards an end goal. This enlightened moment helped me realize that we just need to know the direction we are going. Once we know the direction, then simply take action. Actions in the appropriate direction will always compound positively. Simply when we commit to contributing small actions over and over again as long as you perform them consistently you will inevitably reach your goal. 40% of everything we do on a daily basis is done habitually. We are living the majority of our lives on autopilot. Changing our habits creates an approach that has finally given me the confidence to work towards the life I desire, without the stressful goal cycle I have experienced in the past.

If you also struggle with setting goals and achieving them, I hope this is helpful to you.