A goal journal is a good way to keep track of your goals.Goal journals allow you to keep track of your progress, as well as keep you accountable for it.Just a little self-discipline is all you need to keep a goal journal.Review your entries daily to see how far you've come.
Step 1: You can choose where you write.
Pick a notebook, computer file, or other item to use for your goal journal.Make sure it's something you're comfortable writing in and that you have access to when you need it.Some journals are designed to be used as goal journals.If you find the format works for you, use one of these.Goal tracking and journal apps are also available.You would have the benefit of having it on your phone so it would be convenient, if one of these works for you.You could try GoalsOnTrack or Coach.me.Both of these apps are free on both phones.
Step 2: Write down your goals.
Take some time to think about where you want to be in your life.Don't judge or censor what you write during the session, include everything that comes to mind.Separating your long and short term goals is important.Short term goals are things that you would like to do within 6 months to a year, while longterm goals can take up to 10 years to accomplish.Write down what you want to do, and who you would like to be.
Step 3: If you are a visual learner, draw out your goals.
You can sketch out pictures, make graphs, or create a visual game to track your progress.You can draw pictures of your goals or set up rewards for yourself along the way.
Step 4: Think of your goals.
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-focused, and Time-bound are what SMART stands for.The goals should be clear, realistic, and able to be measured.Professional motivators use these parameters when they are coaching students.When you come up with a possible goal, ask yourself how you can make it more specific so that you know if you have achieved the goal or not.
Step 5: Your goals should be prioritized and categorized.
Career, education, diet, exercise, and social life are some of the categories that can be included in a list of goals.Pick which goals you want to tackle first and put them into the right categories.If you want to work as a computer programmer, you need to learn coding languages or get a degree first.The education goal should be prioritized over the career goal.First, try some simple, easy goals.You will keep going if you have an early success.
Step 6: You can create a schedule.
Break down the goal into smaller steps that you can accomplish in a shorter period of time.Measures should be included in these steps.If you want to get more exercise, you can set a goal of exercising 3 times a week.To see what works best, try out different types of exercise, like jogging, weight-lifting, or swimming.It is possible to figure out what days work best for you and where you will work out.
Step 7: Depending on your goals, format your entries.
The way in which you organize your daily entries in your goal journal depends on what your ultimate goal is, but ultimately, your entries should be scanned.You want to be able to see your progress at a glance.If you want to lose weight, you might have sections for your food, exercise, and weight.There is a large area for notes and reflections in a paper notebook.If you're creating a physical goal journal using a paper notebook, you might want to use different colored markers or pens for different parts so they pop out.For each section, use larger or bolder headings.
Step 8: Write every day.
Establishing a habit of writing in your goal journal every day helps you commit to the goal.Tracking and measuring your progress will be made easier by the act of writing every day.Journaling about progress and setbacks.You will be able to figure out what is working and what isn't when you reflect on your actions.You can change your goals based on your reflections and conclusions.
Step 9: There is a journal at a specific time each day.
Set aside five to ten minutes at a time of the day when you can write in your journal.It's easiest to journal in the morning after you wake up or at night before you go to bed.If you have a goal that requires a lot of detail, you're unlikely to remember it the next day.At the time you want to write in your journal, keep it on your bedside table.
Step 10: You should be specific in your entries.
You've set measurable goals, and whatever things you're measuring need a place in each entry you make in your goal journal.You can better track your progress by keeping entries specific.Suppose you have decided to stop smoking.How many cigarettes do you smoke each day?Information about where and when you smoked should be included.Identifying hurdles that stand in the way of you achieving your goal can be done with details.
Step 11: Schedule goals as necessary.
You may find that your daily or weekly steps aren't realistic.Make your steps smaller, don't beat yourself up.It is possible that you are not meeting your daily or weekly goals more often than you think.Look at the reasons you didn't achieve what you wanted to.You're trying to cut calories.You find that on weekends you consume more calories than you should.You may want to give yourself a cheat day when you can consume more calories and still meet your goal.
Step 12: Learn from your mistakes.
If you're struggling to make progress towards your goal, look at it as a learning opportunity.Take steps to eliminate the problem so you can return to your goal.If you want to quit smoking, you might have noticed that you end up smoking when you go to a particular bar with your friends.You can either do another activity with those friends or move your bar outing to a smoke-free location.
Step 13: Don't forget to review your entries regularly.
Writing in your goal journal isn't enough.If you want to track your progress, you need to read over those entries on a regular basis.You can identify patterns in your behavior that you didn't notice before by going back over your entries.You can see how this goal is impacting other areas of your life.Just a couple of minutes is all you need to go through your entries for that week.Read over your entries at the end of the month.Extra space in your journal can be used to reflect on your progress at the end of the month.
Step 14: It's a good idea to update and rewrite entries.
Your goal journal should be a permanent record of your progress towards your goal.If you're reviewing your entries, make sure to clean up any mistakes.If you want to do your initial journal in a notebook, you can copy your entries once a week into a clean computer file.The act of copying your entries will help you notice patterns in your behavior.
Step 15: Lock away your journal to protect your privacy.
It is possible to include intimate details about your life in your goal journal.You can keep your goal journal safe by hiding it in a locked drawer or a secret location.You need to be honest in your goal journal.If you are afraid someone else will be able to read it, you may be less inclined to do that.If you keep a journal on your computer, you may want to password protect it so that no one can see it.
Step 16: Your journals should be kept indefinitely.
A goal journal is a record of your progress.If you decide to go after a different goal, the journal has information that can help you.It can be motivating to look back over your accomplishments.If you achieve a goal, you can use your goal journal to remind yourself of how far you've come.If you keep a notebook as your journal, you may want to make a computer file each month or once you've achieved your goal, to keep as a permanent record.The pages can either be scanned or retyped.