I received a comment this morning about how to set goals. I must admit, I’ve become much better about setting and achieving goals in the past couple of years, so I’m happy to share any tips that might help other folks.

1. The first key is setting an achievable goal. For instance, I have the goal of one day running the Boston Marathon. It’s a lofty goal for me (I’m not that fast of a runner), but one I know I can accomplish if I put in enough time and effort. Qualifying for something like the Olympics, on the other hand, will never, ever happen. I’m not saying you shouldn’t set the bar high, or to have dreams. In order to not live a life of constant disappointment, however, I suggest reining in your imagination. I believe it was Dumbledore who said “it does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live” (or something to that effect).
2. The second step is breaking your goal into smaller, more tangible chunks. When I first started writing my dissertation, I would write down “write dissertation” on my to-do list. This never got crossed-off of the to-do list (well, I suppose it did one day), since the task was much too broad and lofty. Now when I start something, I set much smaller, more manageable tasks. For the art class I’m currently taking, my goal is to attend the 5 classes I paid for, not to create a beautiful piece of art that I can hang on my walls (which, after 3 classes, I can definitely say will NOT be happening!).
3. The last rule I’m learning to follow is to not get too beat up about missing a goal or a target. This is easier said than done, but I’ve found is absolutely essential for my mental health. There are multiple reasons I set goals, especially when it comes to my personal time. I want to push myself, to learn new things, to keep life interesting. What I don’t want, however, is to add more stress and anxiety in my life. Daily life provides enough of that for me. Some flexibility and understanding is essential. So if you miss a mark, either change the timeline or the goal, accept that life never works according to plan, and move on.

I hope some of these tips help you with your own work or personal goal setting. Feel free to share some of your goals or tips in the comments!