3 Smart Questions You Should Ask About Your Goals

Take a few seconds and think about one goal you absolutely want to make happen in the near future. You might think having a plan and all the resources to back you up will push you through to the finish line. That's true, but only partially. Even with a clear plan, distractions and motivation slumps are inevitable, and not preparing for them ahead of time is typically what knocks us off track. That was definitely the case for me. If you want to give your goal a real chance, here are three simple questions to start asking yourself today.

#1: Am I making time?

How serious are you about your goal? If it's something you want right now, is there a part of your day or week that's off limits and totally devoted to it? If your schedule is overloaded, is there something you're willing to put on hold to make time for it instead? If you answered "no" to the last two questions, hop back up to the first question in this paragraph and give it a little more thought.

You'd probably never set a goal with no real intentions of following through, but that's the message we send when we say we'll do something without making time for it in our lives. Our dreams and goals will stay in our heads until we make room for them in our reality. Making time for your goal doesn't have to be a long, drawn out process, it just needs to make sense for the way your life is set up.

#2. Is autopilot running the show? 

Autopilot is actually a good thing. It comes in handy for things like remembering to lock the door or pressing the red button to end a call - the things we can do without thinking. It only becomes a problem when we're constantly on the go, mentally or physically, and allow autopilot to make executive decisions for us when we're too "mentally checked out" to realize it. So, we eat, spend, binge-watch or overwork ourselves, without really thinking about how it affects our goals.

Luckily, there's a super simple way to keep autopilot in check. Read on the find out.

#3. Have I been checking in?

Would you ever make a major purchase without first checking your account balance? Definitely not, right? Just like reviewing our bank account, self-reflection is how we check in to see where we are. Not checking in regularly puts us at risk of making huge life decisions based on guesses or old information. Yes, self-reflection requires us to slow down a bit, but the biggest plus-side is that it stops us from unknowingly squandering our time on relationships or careers that we've outgrown or activities that don't line up with our goals. Sound like something you want to avoid? Then, self-reflection is a must!

There you have it. You now have three easy questions to guide you back when you're not feeling motivated or seeing the progress you expect. Now let's turn these tips into action. Click here for a little practice. Every tiny decision counts. Meet me on the next page!