Karen

Happy Tuesday, ladies. 🙂 I’ve been thinking a lot today about goal setting and some of the things that people do to motivate/trick/inspire themselves to get stuff done, whether it be for small tasks (tidying up the house), or big projects (figuring out what to do as a career).

Few things are as empowering as a sense of accomplishment, but a lot has to happen between setting and achieving a goal. Sometimes it can be overwhelming.

Like plants, goals thrive when they’re tended to and cared for, so let’s pay some attention to our goals today. Here are seven things that may help.

1. Mind map it!

Does your brain ever feels like it’s bursting at the seams? Like you have just too many things to think about? To organize my thoughts, I use a brainstorming technique called mind mapping.

A mind map from last Saturday!

They’re a fun way to quickly dump ideas on paper, getting them out of your head.

I feel like once I get ideas down on paper (or up on the screen), they seem easier to process and sort.

Are you ready? 🙂

• Grab a sheet of paper
• Near the center of the page, jot down a few of your goals and/or ideas
• Add branches of related information to each idea
• Allow your mind to wander, and continue to add more related branches until it feels like you’re done

When I’m finished with a map, I usually feel better about things, like I’m one big step closer to achieving my goals.

2. Build momentum

With your mind map in hand, it’s time to prioritize.

I’ll ask myself…

• What are my goals/tasks?
• Which ones are urgent?
• Which ones can I do right now?

To get the ball rolling (aka to build momentum), I’ll start with the easiest tasks. Crossing some of them off my list makes the more complicated ones feel a lot easier.

3. Set three goals a day

Big goals are essentially just batches of little tasks all strung together, right? First thing in the morning, I like to write down three things (just three) that I want to achieve that day. I put them on a Post-It stuck someplace visible, like at the bottom of my computer screen.

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