Setting goals and accomplishing them is key to living the ultimate retirement lifestyle. Yes, you’re never too old to set goals, whether it be to improve your fitness, pick up a new instrument or take up a hobby. 

Goals help you create purpose, make you feel happier and give you a strong sense of connection with your community. So, how do you successfully plan and achieve them? Here are our six goal setting tips.

1. Set SMART goals

Have you ever wanted to achieve something, but had no real plan of attack and so never got anywhere with it? You’re not alone! And this is exactly why we need to set SMART goals. SMART is an acronym for:

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Realistic

Time-bound

Let’s break it down.

Specific

Rather than creating a vague plan, you’ll be much more successful if you get specific with your goals. For example, rather than saying “I want to get fitter”, put together a daily exercise plan.

Measurable

How will you monitor your progress and measure your success? If you’d like to learn how to play golf, you could commit to visiting the putting green or golf simulator once a day for 20 minutes.

Achievable

Ask yourself, are you truly passionate and committed to accomplishing this goal? Are you looking forward to the challenge? Also, be sure to prioritise one goal at a time – this will save overwhelm and keep you focused.

Realistic

Knowing yourself and how you like to operate is a really important factor in goal setting. For instance, if you’re not a morning person, it’s best to schedule your activities for the afternoon or evening.

Time-bound

We all work better to deadlines and setting a target date for each goal will keep you motivated. So, if your goal is to compete in the bowls championship, work out what you need to achieve each week to get there.

2. Write your goals down

By putting pen to paper and writing down your goals, you’re making them real and tangible. It also helps you remember them. Keep your goals somewhere that you’ll see them each day and have a pen handy, so you can cross each one off your list as you complete it.  

3. Break big goals into smaller ones

When you set big goals, it’s easy for them to become overwhelming. You don’t know where to begin … so you don’t make a start at all.

For the big goals, break them down into actionable tasks. Create a chart or checklist and tick each task off as you complete it. This not only helps you stay on track, but you can see progress toward your main goal, which is critical for keeping you motivated. 

4. List any obstacles and hatch a plan to overcome them

As you set goals, make sure you consider if there could be any speedbumps to stop you achieving them. If there are, how will you overcome them? By identifying what could go wrong and creating a plan on how to deal with each obstacle, you’re one huge step closer to achieving your goal.

5. Reward yourself along the way

This is one of our favourite goal setting tips. What better way to stay motivated than by promising yourself a reward once you’ve achieved your goal. If your aim is to read every day, you could treat yourself to a movie at the end of the week. Or if you’re learning a new language, the ultimate reward is a trip overseas (so you can practise it). 

You could also break this into smaller rewards. For example, each time you reach a milestone, head out for a long walk with a friend or why not shout yourself a coffee at the local café.

6. Tell friends and family about your goals

It’s much easier to stay accountable when you talk to others about your goals. Let family and friends know so they can support and encourage you. Plus, you’ll be super excited to let them know when you achieve your goals.  

Now that you have our top goal-setting tips, it’s over to you. What will be your next goal? Perhaps you could set one with your neighbours and all work together to achieve it!