Formulate Your Goals As Personal “rules” for Achieving Them
The next time you set a goal, focus it on a rule to make it easier to achieve. Making a rule that is easy to follow gives you a powerful step that will help you build – and maintain – momentum.
Turning a goal into a rule gives you a guideline for your actions when your determination or energy weakens. Leo Babauta of Zen Habits gives some examples (target in bold followed by a rule).
- More : When 9:30 PM comes around, I turn off my computer, go to sleep, and read a book.
- Run a marathon : When my alarm goes off at 6am, go out and run today. Or stretch if it’s a day off.
- Lose weight : 1) Eat oats, cinnamon and berries for breakfast. 2) For lunch or dinner, eat black beans, brown rice, vegetables, salsa, and guacamole. 3) If I’m hungry in between, eat apples, carrots, or plain nuts. 4) Drink only tea or water, except for a cup of coffee at the beginning of the day.
- Be more mindful : when I wake up, I urinate, drink a glass of water, and then meditate for five minutes.
This method is pretty simple, but it actually works in its favor. When I tried this, my goal was to “run more.” I have made it a rule to wear running gear when I get home from work. I didn’t think about running or anything other than this rule, but it worked because as soon as I put on my gear, I felt mentally ready to run, even if I was tired. Setting boundaries like this will help you make achieving goals a part of your daily life, as well as giving you specific action to take. For more information follow the link below.
Instead of goals or solutions, try creating rules | Zen habits