Top 10 Goal Setting Tips
Tip 3 - Stretch Yourself!

The 3rd of my goal setting tips "Stretch Yourself" is really important in terms of building your motivation and self esteem.

A goal should be something worth aiming for (in YOUR terms). Something that when you achieve it will make you feel excited, triumphant, successful, happy, motivated, exhilarated or any other positive emotion that you wish to revel in. Don't insult yourself by asking less than you are capable of. Have a goal that's worth striving for!

How Do I Do This?

When you were a baby and a small child, you knew exactly what you wanted and you set about getting it without any fear or inhibitions. Think about it...if you were hungry or wanted to be held, you simply cried until you got what you wanted (an acceptable strategy for a small child who is unable to do things for themselves!).

As you grew older, you started to crawl and then to stand on your own 2 feet. You probably fell down hundreds of times, but that didn't deter you - oh no! You'd seen these big people walking on 2 legs and reaching into all sorts of interesting looking cupboards and shelves, and you were determined to do the same.

It never occurred to you that you couldn't walk, even though you'd never done it before. You just kept trying until you got it right. And a whole new world opened up to you!

So what happened? Well, as we grow up we are often taught to avoid things that others might see as difficult, risky or a waste of time:

"Don't touch that, you'll hurt yourself"
"Watch out, you'll fall"
"Stop playing that guitar and get on with your homework!"
"You'll never make a living doing that"

With the very best of intentions (like protection and security) parents and other adults teach their children to settle for less than they really want. But where's the joy in that?

Stop allowing other people's opinions to lower your expectations of yourself! You're a capable adult now and you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Tap into that inner child who is determined to get what they want.

How Much is Enough?

Well this is a very personal thing, and so it should be. Your goal should be YOURS and no-one else's. For someone who is morbidly obese and gets out of puff just getting out of bed in the morning, walking a mile could be a massive achievement. For someone else, RUNNING a mile would give them a thrill. For another person, only a MARATHON will do! The important thing is that you decide what you REALLY want and go for it, no compromises!

I hope you've enjoyed exploring the 3rd of my goal setting tips. You may be wondering at this stage how on earth you are going to achieve your big goal. Don't worry! Just click on the other tips below and they will help you:

Goal Setting Tips (1) - Have a compelling "WHY?"
Goal Setting Tips (2) - Decide WHAT you want
Tip (4) - Be specific
Tip (5) - Believe it's possible
Tip (6) - Embed your goals
Tip (7) - Chunk it down
Tip (8) - Take action
Tip (9) - Prepare for obstacles
Tip (10)- Be flexible

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