Goal Setting: Take, Toss, Tweak

January 2023:

Kicking off 2023 with a new blog where monthly I will break down some of the most discussed topics inside and outside of session, including goal setting. The main theme on everyone’s mind right now is “New Year New Me!” as is usually the case every January.

But how can we make a point to follow through on our personal, fitness and career goals this year when the hype of the new year starts to wear off?

On average by Valentine’s Day New Year’s resolutions begin to take a back burner. So let’s be honest with ourselves. Did we really want change in the first place? Or were we just following an annual tradition?

The first step to goal setting is being honest with yourself!

If you’re trying to reset after a long holiday season with way too much overindulging, that is completely reasonable and doable. If we want to kick off a long term fitness goal to get in shape, that’s great too. If you have no goals for yourself for the near future and have no desire to make changes, that’s fine too! The difference is not lying to yourself with a deceptive goal that is not based in reality but a fantasy. Tapping into your Actual Self as opposed to your Ideal Self will set you up for a more realistic perspective of the goals you want to accomplish and how likely they are to be completed.

So now that we are more practical about the reality of the goals we want to set for ourselves, how do we go about executing them?

This is the second most likely factor that contributes to feeling defeated, a goal without a plan. We must set up a plan in order to properly execute whatever our established goals are. Without the plan might as well just expect disappointment to creep around the corner at some point because your goal will fade further and further out of reach.

This year I’m going to bring back my favorite New Years game plan I shared back in 2020. It was at the very beginning of establishing my business as well as my online presence on social media. I absolutely love this approach and you better believe I use it for myself throughout the year to keep myself accountable. In order to even come up with goals to accomplish you must first do a self evaluation to identify the things that you’d like to make changes on.

Here’s where Take Toss Tweak comes into play.

Every New Years Eve I have made it a habit to take at least one hour to myself away from everyone and journal out my Take Toss Tweak.

• ‘Take’ list: I list out all the things about myself that I love and were effective throughout the year. 
• ‘Toss’ list: Then followed by the things I didn’t love as much that I know were counterproductive or even detrimental in fulfilling my goals or just overall happiness. 
• ‘Tweak’ list: Finally, and now that i think of it my favorite, the ‘Tweak’ list. I really like this list because I find it an interesting form of self love to say to myself “Hey girl that was pretty good but if we switched it up just a bit it would be amazing!”. It is an honest heart to heart with yourself. This is crucial to practice as it is the way to be most grounded in reality about where you are and where you want to be. Imagine walking through life with smudged glasses and expecting yourself not to trip over something right in front of you. So let’s start by making an effort to be realistic about the things that do need some tweaking and continue to feel them out as time passes.

There is no one size fits all when it comes to goal setting.

A strong, realistic foundation is a necessary start for anyone trying to set and accomplish goals. Your strength is being the master of yourself. No one knows you better than YOU! So be honest. Be real. Use the tools you already have inside of you to carry to you toward feeling fulfilled and confident. List out your Take Toss Tweak for the year. Break down your goals into bite size chunks so you don’t get overwhelmed and throw in the towel too early. Talk to yourself as you would talk to your best friend in order to practice healthier self talk along the way. Be your own support system. After all you are the one person you are guaranteed to be around all the time.

I’m hoping this technique is helpful along your journey. You may be surprised what a little structure can contribute to your desired goals. I look forward to continuing to share what I’ve learned with you throughout the year with the intention that it will help you find yourself getting closer and closer to a more fulfilled version of you.

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Dr. Cristina Dominguez provides compassionate, professional care with no judgment. Elite coaching sessions can help with career advancement, successful relationships, burnout, and more. Reach out today to schedule your free consultation.