How many times have you set a goal and failed to reach it? Whether it’s a fleeting new year’s resolution or a passion project you didn’t get around to, we all have goals that we never seem to reach. The reason? A lack of planning. Let’s dive into why we so often fall short of our goals, and how a wall goal planner can help you change that narrative.
Why is it So Difficult to Achieve Our Goals?
If you’ve ever cursed yourself for not following through on a goal, you’re not alone. We’ve all been there. From diets to quitting bad habits or finishing a project, working your way towards a goal isn’t easy. The good news is that there isn’t anything wrong with you if you fail. The reason we fail to reach our goals isn’t the result of some fatal flaw or lack of willpower. It’s simply because we didn’t give ourselves the foundations we need to achieve that goal in the first place.
What are those foundations? A thorough plan. Think about it as if you’re building a house. First, you need architectural plans. Without them, you’ll have no idea where to start, what materials you need, what timeframe you’re working with, or what kind of house you’re building. If you start without a plan you could so easily forget to lay the foundations properly, run out of materials in the middle of the job, or just become completely overwhelmed and give up entirely.
That’s the worst-case scenario but the theory applies to smaller tasks as well. Take baking a cake, for instance. Sure, you could wing it without a recipe and you might end up with something that resembles a cake, but a recipe makes it so much easier. You won’t forget any crucial ingredients, you won’t need to guess measurements, temperatures or timings, and you’ll end up with the exact cake you envisioned.
It’s a plan that tells you exactly how to move toward your goal, step by step, in the right order within a realistic timeframe. Without it, you’re creating much more work and a much lower chance of success. Now that we’ve explored why you need a plan, let’s cover how.
How to Plan For Success with a Wall Goal Planner
You can, of course, use any planning method that works for you to develop your goal plan. Our favourite method just happens to be a wall goal planner. They allow you to track and see your progress right there on the wall, always reminding you of your goal and how to reach it. Here is our guide to planning for any goal using a wall goal planner.
Set Your Timeframe
How long will it realistically take you to achieve your goal? The key word here is ‘realistically’. While the idea of learning a language in a month or shedding kilograms in a few weeks may sound appealing, it’s simply setting yourself up for failure. Knowing your timeframe doesn’t just give you realistic expectations, but tells you what type of planner is best for your goal, be it weekly, monthly, or annual.
Break Down Your Goal
This is where the planning takes place. Break your goal down into manageable, actionable tasks to check off. You want these tasks to be so small you can achieve them in just an hour or two. For goals like going for a walk every day the break down is easy - just mark onto your wall goal planner to walk every day. For more complex goals like learning a language or getting a promotion at work, set yourself a specific task to complete every day or week.
This method prevents you from becoming overwhelmed, giving you realistic tasks to complete in a realistic timeframe. Your plan can be as detailed as you need, breaking down every single step of the process. The more you break down your goal, the easier it will be to do the work and make steady progress towards the end result.
Hold Yourself Accountable
The last step is to track your progress. Tick off tasks you have completed and map your milestones on your wall planner. This will show you whether you’re on track to achieve your goal or if you’re falling behind. If you do find that you’re falling behind, it likely means that your plan or timeframe isn’t working for you. This is your opportunity to revisit the first two steps and re-plan for success.
By following those three simple steps, you’ll be more prepared and likely to succeed than ever before. Remember to be kind to yourself by being flexible with your goals. After all, you can never truly fail if you simply keep planning and trying. Check out our Facebook Page for handy planning inspiration or browse our range of wall goal planners and more to start planning.
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