Welcome to 2020! It’s that time that so many of us are ready to set resolutions. If you don’t want to blunder down this dark road alone, you came to the right place. Heavy Metal Barbell is here to help. We have created an easy FIVE step program for smashing your goals (and even have a handy dandy printable sheet to help)!
Why 60 days? 66 days - that is how long it takes to make a behavior a habit. However, 66 days isn’t as sexy as 60 days. Also, if you were to implement this goal-setting process every 60 days, you could smash 6 goals a year! This is a great way to really attack that Wishlist you will set in a minute.
1. Dream Big!
This is the first set to goal setting. Grab a sheet of paper and a pen. Then start jotting down all the things you want to achieve in the next 12 months of your life. These goals can be related to the gym, your career, family, or finances. The sky is the limit at this stage so don’t hold back!
2. Setting Your Main Goal
Now that you have a wishlist of actions that you want, pick just ONE to focus on first. This goal can be the easiest to implement or the most impactful. If this is your first time breaking down your goals, it is usually easier to start small. When you feel you have met this goal, you can always start on another goal from your wishlist. This is just to get started.
If you are using the HMB 60 Day Goal Planner sheet, write this goal in the “Main Goal” box.
3. Breaking That Into Habits
We have a destination so let’s map out the route! Break down the goal into FOUR habits that will help you achieve your Main Goal. These habits should just be action statements. (This is what the four habit sections on the 60 Day Goal Planner sheet are for.) For Example, if my main goal is to “Go to the Gym 5 Days a Week”, one of my action items might be “Pack My Gym Bag Each Night”. This is an easy, implementable habit that will contribute to the success of my Main Goal.
4. Habit Tracker
A habit tracker is a simple way to measure whether you did a habit that day. Since we are focusing on four habits over 60 days, you have four rows and 60 columns. At the end of each day or the beginning of the next day, sit for a few minutes and reflect on your habits. If you successfully completed the habit, mark off the box. If you didn’t leave it blank. This process demands that you are honest with yourself. If you are not honest or willing to take half-truths as a success, then you are not committing to implementing your Main Goal. The point of this whole process is to be honest with yourself and work on personal growth.
Failing to implement a habit for one day is not a failure. Too often, we fall into an all-or-nothing cycle with our habits. The problem is not slipping up; the problem is thinking that if you can't do something perfectly, then you shouldn't do it at all. Get back on the wagon the next and remember that we are all human!
5. Day 61 - Now What?
Congrats! You had it through 60 days of habit tracking. Does this mean this goal is now met? Most likely not. However, you have laid the groundwork to make it apart of your automatic daily process. If your goal is to go to the gym 5 days a week, this doesn’t stop at day 61. Hopefully, you will not have a process in place and want to go to the gym 5 days a week without needing to map it out as a goal.
If you enjoyed this process, you can map out another goal from your Wishlist. When habits become automatic, you can pursue different goals. Maybe this time, instead of focusing on your health, pursue career development, or financial independence goals!