I want to make myself a focused goal mantra and feel as though doing this will aid in ensuring I have something to guide me to where I want to be in life. The last time I made one was back in 2015 (it was not completely focused on goals, instead it was more focused on what I had as an overall image for my life) and I failed to read it daily as it wasn’t placed somewhere that I could see it easily. Having moved last summer I now have space in which I can make myself a vision board.
Don’t know what any of these are? Don’t sweat it, this post is going to give a general guideline for how to make one as I can share how I go about making my own.
There are two main things that should go into a goal mantra, although you could add whatever else will help hype you towards achieving your own dreams.
The first would be little inspirations or quotes that add positivity towards your mentality. They can be things like “It’s okay to be a dreamer, as long as you’re also a planner and a doer”. or “No dream is too big if you have the guts to achieve it”, or “I am awesome just because I exist”.
The second is what makes it a goal list in the first place – your goals. They should be “SMART goals”. The letters of the word SMART are an acronym standing for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. There are so many guides that can be found online to help you make goals in this manner but here is a quick rundown for each letter.
Specific – goals should be simple, clear, and specific. If the goals are too broad or vague they are less motivating in the long run. Think of what needs to be accomplished, by who, and what steps need to be taken to achieve it.
Measurable – this will help you determine if you are on track for your goal and if it is a success or failure. Your goals should have some sort of objective way to measure them—whether that’s a deadline, a number, a percent change, or some other measurable element. Think about how much, how will you know if the target has been reached.
Attainable – goals should give you a bit of a challenge. Based on your experiences and resources, think about if you can attain your goal. If not, re-think the goal. It’s fine to have a goal that will be a stretch to be able to achieve but if it is out of the realm of possibilities then there needs to be a breakdown on how to get to what you want in a longer time frame.
Relevant – why does this goal matter to you? Whatever you work towards needs to resonate with your needs and desires at this point in time yet work into the bigger picture of what you want in your life.
Time-bound – without a deadline a goal may sit on the back burner until it never comes to fruition. Think about if this needs to be done in a few days, weeks, months, or years. Having a set deadline creates urgency.
Okay, so you now know what needs to be focused upon for each goal, but there are so many different aspects of your life. When writing a goal mantra you want to ensure you cover all parts of your life. To ensure I don’t miss any I like to write a list out of each area of my life and then jot down something quick for each one.
The following are areas of life that can be used when writing a mantra. I would expect that some goals will cover multiple sections.
Finances; career; education; relationships – romance, kids, parents, siblings, friends; social life and community; environment; personal growth – personal character, physical and mental health, spirituality; leisure time, creativity; quality of life; life vision;